National Govt to Finally Take Over Nairobi County from Sakaja

The Kenya Times ~ Trending, Breaking News and Videos

National Govt to Finally Take Over Nairobi County from Sakaja

The National Government and the Nairobi City County Government are set to sign a Cooperation Agreement on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

The signing ceremony will take place at 3:00 PM at the State House.

“Signing of the Cooperation Agreement Between the National Government and Nairobi City County Government. Tuesday, February 17, 2026,” read the media invite.

Earlier, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja denied any plans to hand over the city’s operations to President William Ruto’s administration. 

He termed the reports as “Fake news”, confirming that no responsibilities or powers have been handed over.

“Fake news. No functions or roles ceded,” Sakaja said.

Sakaja Dismisses Handing Over Nairobi County key Functions

During his State of the County Address at the Nairobi County Assembly on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Sakaja dismissed speculation that his recent meeting with President William Ruto at State House signaled a handover of key county responsibilities, including garbage management, public works, and water supply.

He affirmed that the mandate given to him by Nairobi residents empowers him to oversee and transform the city and stressed that the functions assigned to the county by the Constitution would remain under county control.

Sakaja acknowledged Nairobi’s dual status as both a county and the national capital, noting that collaboration with the national government is sometimes necessary and encouraged.

However, he said that all joint efforts must comply with the law, including the Urban Areas and Cities Act, to support infrastructure and service delivery without undermining county authority.

Also Read: Sakaja Responds to ‘Ruto Taking Over’ Nairobi Key Functions

He cited the 2020 Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) arrangement as a cautionary example, highlighting that blurring constitutional roles can have costly consequences.

The NMS experiment, he noted, left the county with Ksh16 billion in pending bills, low staff morale due to mistreatment, and a disruption of devolution.

Also Read: Sakaja Exposes Powerful People Within Ruto’s Govt Who Want to Take Over Nairobi County

Areas of Collaboration

Governor Sakaja outlined key areas for planned collaboration with the national government, highlighting the Maragwa 4 Dam project, which is expected to deliver 140 million litres of water daily.

He presented a joint plan to provide at least one kilometre of tarmacked road in each of Nairobi’s 85 wards.

In solid waste management, Sakaja proposed the development of integrated waste transfer stations and estate-level clean-up programs to improve garbage collection and overall sanitation.

Supporting the call for cooperation, Nairobi County’s Minority Leader Anthony Kiragu said collaboration should not be seen as a sign of county government failure and pledged that the assembly would provide input where needed.

Minority Deputy Leader at the Nairobi County, Waithera Chege stressed that residents’ priorities remain practical services such as well-maintained roads, reliable waste collection, and sufficient water supply.

She noted that the assembly had previously highlighted stalled projects to the President and expressed readiness to take further action, including impeachment, if accountability measures were not observed.

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This post National Govt to Finally Take Over Nairobi County from Sakaja first appeared on The Kenya Times ~ Trending, Breaking News and Videos and is written by Janeffer Katila