Amid growing dissatisfaction, Nairobi County residents and leaders are increasingly vocal about their grievances with Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration.
With stalled projects, dubious public land dealings, and poor service delivery, the concerns raised by Nairobi’s ward representatives reveal a deepening crisis in Kenya’s capital.
A big critique came from Deputy Minority Leader Waithera Chege and Kileleshwa Ward Representative Robert Alai, who labeled Sakaja’s much-publicized Dishi na County initiative as a PR exercise that fails to address the city’s core issues.
Dishi na County is an initiative intended to provide subsidized meals to Nairobi’s underprivileged.
However, Alai and Chege argue that the program is more of a publicity stunt than a functional service.
According to Alai, Sakaja has restricted oversight on the project, preventing MCAs from fully assessing its impact or the allocation of funds.
This lack of transparency has raised suspicions that the initiative may be a distraction from the administration’s lackluster performance on essential services.
Nairobi has also accumulated stalled projects valued at over KSh 1.36 billion, primarily in the healthcare sector, as revealed in the Auditor-General’s report for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
The report shows numerous projects, including hospitals and dispensaries, left unfinished or abandoned, despite substantial budget allocations.
A particularly concerning case is a contractor hired for KSh 869 million to construct three hospitals, all of which remain incomplete.
The Pumwani Lucky Summer Dispensary, Pumwani Majengo Health Centre, and Gumba/Mabatini Dispensary projects were inspected in September 2023, showing signs of neglect, dilapidation, and unfulfilled work promises.
Despite this poor track record, the same company was awarded another lucrative contract for phase two of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, which also remains incomplete after partial payments.
Another pressing issue is the alleged grabbing of public land.
According to Chege, county officials and private developers have been colluding to secure land meant for public use.
In one instance, a developer allegedly leveraged public land as collateral for a loan to build a private mall in Kileleshwa.
Ward representatives claim that such activities illustrate deep-rooted corruption, with county officials manipulating land contracts for personal gain.
A striking example is the controversial agreement between the county government and Jabavu Village Ltd, initially set at a 99%-1% revenue split in favor of the county.
The contract was allegedly altered to benefit the developer with an 80%-20% revenue split, essentially transferring a valuable public asset to private hands with little accountability.
In addition to stalled projects and land scandals, the administration faces questions about revenue collection practices.
According to Alai, funds collected at certain sites, like Riverside, remain unaccounted for, with no clear information on who oversees the collections.
This opacity raises concerns about potential misappropriation and undermines confidence in Sakaja’s ability to manage county finances effectively.
Waithera Chege and other MCAs have voiced frustration over their interactions with Sakaja, whom they accuse of promising action during meetings but consistently failing to deliver.
Alai asserts that city officials are more concerned with cutting deals than serving residents, compromising the integrity of both ongoing and proposed development projects.
For many ward representatives, Sakaja’s administration appears to lack the political will to address these issues head-on.
As Nairobi’s leadership faces intense public backlash, there are growing demands for accountability from both county officials and contractors involved in these stalled projects.
Residents and representatives alike are calling for transparent, efficient governance that prioritizes the city’s pressing infrastructure and social needs over PR exercises.
