Sakaja defends development record, outlines next phase of reforms

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has defended his administration’s record under the “Let’s Make Nairobi Work” slogan, citing gains in revenue collection, waste management, school feeding, and infrastructure, while unveiling the next phase of reforms to meet the city’s growing demands.

Speaking yesterday when he met members of the Green Army, Sakaja said Nairobi had broken revenue collection records and simplified business licensing through the introduction of the Unified Business Permit.

“Before I came in, Nairobi had never surpassed the Sh10 billion mark. In my first year, we collected Sh10.8 billion, then Sh12.8 billion. By June 2025, we hit Sh13.8 billion,” Sakaja said.

He added that businesses can now access licences online through NairobiPay instead of queuing at City Hall.

The Governor also highlighted the hiring of 4,000 Green Army workers on permanent and pensionable terms, the first such recruitment since 1987, and the acquisition of new trucks and skip loaders to strengthen garbage collection.

He said plans are underway to establish the Green Nairobi Company Limited to manage solid waste and build a 45-megawatt waste-to-energy plant in Dandora.

On education, Sakaja said the Dishi na County feeding programme has expanded to 316,000 learners across 230 public schools, serving more than 50 million meals since 2022 and boosting enrolment by 35 per cent.

Water supply, he noted, has grown by 140 million litres a day, with a new 14-kilometre pipeline under construction to serve estates from Gigiri to Mukuru.

Thirteen county estates are currently being redeveloped into modern apartments to meet Nairobi’s housing demand.

“Nairobi has six million people during the day and five million at night. The population will only grow, and we must provide housing to meet that demand,” the governor said.

Other initiatives include restoring order in the CBD by relocating hawkers to designated backstreets, removing illegal signposts, installing dustbins, and expanding street lighting.

New markets, he said, including one in Kahawa West, are also being built to support traders.

Sakaja further pointed to a milestone in financial governance, with the Auditor-General issuing Nairobi County’s first qualified opinion audit report, acknowledging improved accuracy in financial records.

In sports, four new stadiums are under construction in Makongeni, Mwiki, Woodley, and Kihumbuini, with completion expected before 2026.

At the grassroots, each ward is receiving Sh23 million annually through the Ward Development Program to fund local projects.

Sakaja said the reforms were both necessary and timely for a city whose population continues to expand.

“We said we would make Nairobi work. It is working, and it will continue to work,” he said