NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 3 – The Nairobi County Assembly has unanimously approved the cooperation agreement between President William Ruto’s administration and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The Assembly has also proposed a list of key priority projects to be undertaken under the agreement. These include infrastructure improvements, affordable housing initiatives, and enhancements to healthcare and education systems within the city.
The cooperation agreement seeks to unlock joint implementation of major infrastructure projects in the capital, including water supply, solid waste management, roads, affordable housing, street lighting and transport infrastructure. The deal is expected to inject an additional Sh80 billion into Nairobi to fast-track development and improve service delivery.
Speaking at State House during the signing ceremony on February 17, the President said the initiative reflects the constitutional principle of cooperative governance, with both levels of government working in a structured partnership to meet the demands of the capital.
Ruto noted that the agreement, anchored in the Constitution of Kenya, the Intergovernmental Relations Act, and the Urban Areas and Cities Act, sets out a framework for collaboration without transferring county functions to the national government.
The county retains its legal mandate, while the national government supplements its efforts in key sectors.
The President highlighted four primary work streams under the agreement as water and sanitation; roads, bridges, and drainage; street lighting and safety, and housing and informal settlement upgrades
In addition, Sh2 billion annually will support circular waste management, complementing the county’s allocation of Sh4 billion for material recovery facilities and transfer stations.
President Ruto also directed the Cabinet Secretary for Interior to develop a framework within 60 days for a dedicated Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit, aimed at strengthening security in the capital alongside county security teams.
He stressed the importance of cooperation over partisanship.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on February 26 defended the deal before the Senate where he argued that Nairobi’s current allocation is insufficient to match the demands of a fast-growing capital.
“The allocation of the City of Nairobi as a county is hardly enough to put the city at an international level. Paris has a budget of Sh1.5 trillion with two million people. Nairobi, with seven million people, has only about Sh45 billion. To be where Paris is, we need more money,” he told the Senate Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations.
Sakaja emphasized that the cooperation agreement does not amount to a transfer of functions under Article 187 of the Constitution, which would require a formal deed of transfer and could create a separate institution such as the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
“This is not a transfer of functions. We shall continue running as a county, and the National Government will come in to provide additional resources for development,” he clarified.
The Governor pointed to ongoing and planned projects as evidence of the benefits of collaboration. He revealed that the National Government has already provided Sh1 billion for the construction of additional classrooms in Nairobi, some of which were handed over this week.
“As a Governor, why should we struggle with this budget when the law provides for cooperation? We embraced it,” Sakaja said.
