NAIROBI,Kenya Apr 21-Nairobi South MCA Waithera Chege has called on President William Ruto to take a more direct role in running Nairobi County, accusing Governor Johnson Sakaja of failing to deliver on key campaign promises.
Speaking during the launch of a children’s heart disease programme in Nairobi South Ward, Chege painted a grim picture of service delivery in the capital, citing poor waste management, deteriorating infrastructure, and unreliable access to clean and affordable water.
“Our governor Sakaja was unable to govern this county and now it’s the President who is assisting us govern the county,” she said, adding that the situation had been worsened by alleged mismanagement of public resources. “The saddest thing is money is being lost on corruption.”
Chege, who also serves as Nairobi County Deputy Minority Leader, further accused the county leadership of uneven development, saying some wards had been sidelined in the rollout of key projects.
She called on the national government to ensure fair distribution of the KSh 80 billion intergovernmental agreement signed between City Hall and the national government, saying all 85 wards should benefit equally.
“The President told us not to proceed with the impeachment on Sakaja and now it is upon the President to deliver on garbage collection, street electrification, feeding programs in ECDE and hospital services,” she said. “We want to ask the President to ensure these pledges are delivered.”
Her remarks came even as the High Court declined to suspend implementation of the KSh 80 billion deal signed last month between Sakaja and President Ruto, effectively allowing the joint national-county development framework to proceed.
Chege expressed optimism that the arrangement would usher in a “new dawn” for Nairobi, saying she had confidence in the national government’s capacity to deliver services where the county had fallen short.
