What Nairobi residents are now being told, in clear terms, is that the national government has stepped in to take over some of the most basic services in the capital.
According to a report by Citizen TV, garbage collection, public works, roads, water supply and even housing are now being placed under a joint arrangement between President William Ruto’s administration and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
This decision did not come from a public debate or a county assembly process. It came from State House, and it speaks loudly about the state of leadership at City Hall.
For many Nairobians, this move feels less like cooperation and more like a rescue mission. Johnson Sakaja came into office with big promises.
He spoke about cleaning the city, fixing roads, supporting young people, and restoring Nairobi to its former glory. He asked for trust and patience.
Years later, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Garbage still piles up in estates, roads are still poor, water shortages are common, and informal settlements continue to suffer neglect.
The promises were many, but delivery has been weak.
The fact that the national government now has to take charge of core county functions raises serious questions about Sakaja’s ability to govern.
Devolution exists so that local leaders can manage local problems. When a governor cannot handle garbage, water, and basic infrastructure, then the purpose of having a county government is undermined.
This arrangement quietly admits what many residents have been saying for months: City Hall is overwhelmed or simply not working.
President Ruto’s public statements show confidence that his government can fix what the county has failed to do. He has spoken about cleaning the city, building affordable housing, and constructing roads.
While these are important goals, they also expose the governor’s shortcomings. If Sakaja was delivering, there would be no need for the President to step in so openly and take control of daily services.
This issue seems not to be new, Nairobi has been here before. In 2020, then Governor Mike Sonko handed over key functions to the national government under Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
That decision came after years of chaos and mismanagement. Seeing history repeat itself under Sakaja is worrying. It suggests that lessons were not learned, and that leadership at City Hall remains fragile.
Supporters of the governor may argue that cooperation is good and that working together will help Nairobi. Cooperation is indeed important, but it should not be used to hide failure.
Sakaja was elected to lead, not to outsource leadership when things get tough. Sharing responsibility at this level looks more like surrender than strategy.
As the national government approves trillion-shilling budgets and releases billions for emergencies like drought, Nairobi residents are left wondering where their county’s priorities are.
The city generates huge revenue, yet basic services remain undone. This gap between resources and results falls squarely on the governor’s desk.
This joint management deal sends a clear message. Nairobi is being run from above because its elected leader has not lived up to expectations.
For a city that carries the country’s image and economy, that is a heavy price to pay for unfulfilled promises.
