How Sakaja-Ruto deal will transform city

Johnson Sakaja with Musalia Mudavadi during the signing of the Sh80 billion Nairobi County cooperation deal at State House. [PCS]

After several weeks of speculations and denials, it is now official that the national government will come in to help manage Nairobi County.

In a Sh80 billion deal described as cooperation between the national and county governments, a team led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi will now join another team from the county to oversee the running of the key projects in the city.

The cooperation agreement signed at State House, Nairobi, focuses on four key areas: Water and sewerage, roads, bridges and drainage, housing and related infrastructure development.

This includes lighting, solid waste management and Nairobi rivers regeneration.

The steering committee to oversee the projects will be chaired by Mudavadi as the coordinator of national government ministries and agencies, deputised by Governor Johnson Sakaja.

The team will comprise cabinet secretaries as well as county staff.

But day-to-day execution of programs and projects will be overseen by the Implementation Committee.

This will be chaired by the governor and will comprise principal secretaries from the national government, as well as county executive committee members responsible for corresponding functions. 

During the signing of the deal, Mudavadi and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor represented the national government, while Sakaja and County Attorney represented the county.

President Ruto insisted that the deal was anchored in law and it ought to have started working 14 years ago, citing that it was a shame that the capital city was sinking in filth.

“Capital city must work, it must meet the highest standards of order, infrastructure, efficiency and service delivery not only for its five million residents, but also for the millions who depend on it every day,” President Ruto said.

Adding that, “Nairobi carries national, regional and global obligations, but is funded largely through the same formula as other counties.

At the same time, the President said he has no interest in running the city, adding that his hands are full, noting that he has an obligation as the President of Kenya to assist the city.

He said the national government will inject money in support of key projects that were signed in the deal, including Sh3.7 billion for street lighting aimed at completing 10,000 lights and installing an additional 40,000 lighting points.

“The national government, working with Kenya Power, will invest $1.5 billion in transformers and proper last-mile connections,” Ruto added.

Also mentioned in the deal is a plan to transform informal settlements through affordable housing to the tune of Sh3.3 billion.

This will cover upgrading programmes covering transformers, prepaid metering and settlement lighting around footpaths, markets, schools, and health facilities.

On water and sanitation, President Ruto said the national government will invest Sh2.1 billion at Ng'ethu Treatment Plant to stop daily losses of 50,000 cubic litres.

Another Sh3 billion will go into the Gigiri-Shauri Moyo evacuation corridor to stabilise and extend supply to high-demand zones.

On sanitation, as part of the Nairobi River Regeneration, Ruto said he will commit Sh9 billion to build two parallel 27 km trunk sewer networks on the Nairobi River corridor.

Another Sh6 billion will be channeled for a new sewer treatment plant that will treat 60,000 cubic litres of wastewater per day.

Similarly, an additional Sh3 billion will support last-mile sewer connectivity, while Sh15 billion is set aside for long-term sewer expansion across the city.

On roads, bridges, and drainage, he said, Sh8.7 billion will be spent, and already Sh2 billion has been allocated to complete Phase One KURA roads within the next two months.

“We are also mobilising additional funding of Sh1.7 billion for a 59 km road package starting in April 2026 under Phase Two. Phase Three, valued at Sh5 billion, will also be procured this financial year.

Adding, “In every ward, we will enhance road networks under a Sh5 billion mobility and safety programme complemented by Sh3.7 from the county government,”

At the same time, President Ruto directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to form a special unit dubbed the Nairobi Metropolitan team to join hands with the county to enhance security.

Governor Sakaja said the agreement solidifies those arrangements, providing a legal framework for additional support, including partnership in security and order.

“This agreement will help us to be able to provide additional infrastructure necessary for a successful tournament and provide for a total governance structure for its successful implementation.

“We thank you for seeing the need and unique place of the capital city, and for your support,” he said.

The governor added that the county has been able to increase the amount of water coming into the city by 140 million litres a day through the Northern Connector Tunnel, which had been stuck.

“We will also embark on projects like the Maragwa Fall Dam and improvements at Ngethu Water Treatment to achieve close to 200 million additional litres of water daily,” he stated.