Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has responded to Senator Edwin Sifuna’s criticism of the cooperation agreement between President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, urging a shift from political sloganeering to constructive policy debate.
Kuria said Sifuna’s articulation of alternatives marks a departure from what he described as opposition rhetoric anchored solely in calls for “one term” and “must go”.
In a statement on Wednesday, February 19, Kuria commended Sifuna for offering what he termed “competing and complementary policies” instead of blanket rejection of the pact, which aims to unlock KSh80 billion for infrastructure and service delivery in Kenya’s capital.
Kuria said substantive policy debate, rather than broad‑brush opposition slogans, serves national development.
“I heard Sen Sifuna today give his proposed alternative to the Musalia‑Sakaja broad‑based receivership for Nairobi,” Kuria said, referring to the joint mechanism chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to oversee the implementation of projects under the cooperation agreement.
“This is the first time an opposition figure has given an alternative other than ONE TERM and MUST GO. Well done Omwami Sifuna. Slogans cannot build a nation. Competing and complementary policies can.”
Kuria’s remarks come days after Sifuna publicly challenged the legality and process behind the cooperation pact, asserting that it was signed without adequate public participation and consultation with relevant constitutional offices, including the Senate.
Sifuna has described the structure of the steering committee as dominated by national government appointees, raising concerns about potential erosion of devolved authority and county autonomy.
While Sifuna has called for the deal to be shelved or revoked pending constitutional compliance, and threatened legal challenges, Kuria described the wider debate as a sign of healthy democratic engagement.
He said it was important for leaders to propose feasible frameworks for Nairobi’s development strategy rather than resort to slogans that, in his view, do not solve pressing governance questions.
National government officials, including President Ruto and Governor Sakaja, have maintained that the cooperation pact is constitutional and designed to boost the capital’s development collaboratively.
They have rejected interpretations that suggest it amounts to a takeover of county functions, emphasising instead that the agreement will support key areas such as roads, water, housing and waste management.
Kuria’s endorsement of serious policy alternatives seeks to shift political discourse around the cooperation agreement from polarised opposition to constructive engagement, reflecting broader debates on constitutionalism, devolution and urban governance.
The controversy has also sparked legal action, with a court petition challenging the pact’s implementation scheduled for March 2026, revealing the intensifying scrutiny around the Nairobi cooperation framework.