Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has sharply criticized Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja following the signing of a Ksh 80 billion cooperation agreement between the Nairobi County government and State House on Tuesday, February 17.
In a statement released after the ceremony, Owino accused Sakaja of abandoning Nairobians by allowing key county functions to be handled directly by the National Government.
“The Governor of Nairobi has confirmed he was given a job he is not qualified for by handing over key county functions to Statehouse. Despite collecting billions from Nairobians, he has given up on serving them. He should respect Nairobians and resign,” Owino said.
He further described the agreement as “the greatest attack on devolution since its inception” and vowed that the situation would be “corrected in 2027 or sooner.”
The Embakasi legislator’s comments come amid intense debate over the scope and implications of the agreement, which he interprets as a weakening of Nairobi’s devolved powers.
Owino’s criticism reflects broader political concerns over perceived centralization of authority in Kenya’s capital city.
Governor Sakaja, however, defended the agreement as a strategic collaboration that preserves devolution. Speaking at the State House ceremony with President William Ruto, Sakaja emphasized that the deal does not transfer county functions.
“This cooperation agreement does not transfer county functions nor weaken devolution. Instead, in the true spirit of devolution, it is a lawful statutory collaboration expressly anchored on Section 6 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, which provides a clear legal pathway for the National Government to work directly with Nairobi in recognition of its unique status as Kenya’s capital,” he said.
The Governor outlined that the Ksh 80 billion package will target essential city services, including roads, housing infrastructure, waste management, water and sanitation, street lighting, and public safety.
He reiterated his commitment to improving service delivery and capturing the aspirations of Nairobians.
“I remain committed to service delivery, the resolve to build a city better than we found it and to capture the aspirations of our people,” Sakaja said.
The agreement marks one of the largest state-funded interventions in Nairobi’s development in recent years, but reactions from political leaders like Owino signal that its rollout may face scrutiny over its impact on the independence of Nairobi’s county administration.