The Controller of Budget (CoB), Margaret Nyakang’o, has exposed the dismal financial management in Nairobi County under Governor Johnson Sakaja, a revelation that paints a grim picture of leadership incompetence and misplaced priorities.
In her latest report, covering July to October, Nyakang’o highlighted Nairobi as one of the ten counties that failed to allocate or spend a single shilling on development projects.
This damning indictment casts doubt on Sakaja’s commitment to addressing Nairobi’s pressing infrastructural and developmental needs.
The report does not merely identify inaction but also compares it with commendable performances by other governors.
For instance, Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu spent Ksh.477 million on development during the same period, followed by Kirinyaga’s Anne Waiguru at Ksh.378 million, and Busia’s Paul Otuoma at Ksh.328 million.
These leaders exemplified strategic investment in their counties, putting Sakaja’s leadership failures in stark contrast.
Moreover, Nairobi County’s staggering Ksh.121 billion in pending bills further underscores the administration’s mismanagement.
Service providers remain unpaid, paralyzing essential services and economic activity in the city.
Comparatively, counties like Garissa, Kiambu, and Turkana, which owe Ksh.6 billion, Ksh.5.9 billion, and Ksh.4.8 billion, respectively, appear more financially prudent despite their smaller economies.
The Controller of Budget did not mince words in urging governors to prioritize the payment of pending bills as their first charge.
However, under Sakaja’s leadership, Nairobi has demonstrated a glaring inability to address this issue, creating a hostile business environment and eroding public trust.
The governor’s silence on these failures raises questions about his ability to lead Kenya’s capital city effectively.
Sakaja’s administration has been embroiled in controversies and accusations of prioritizing populist measures over tangible development.
Critics argue that his focus on flashy initiatives and political rhetoric has distracted him from fulfilling his core mandate.
Nairobi residents continue to grapple with perennial issues such as poor roads, inadequate healthcare facilities, and a broken drainage system.
Yet, the CoB report reveals that funds meant for these critical areas remain untouched, reflecting gross negligence.
The absence of any developmental expenditure is particularly damning in light of Nairobi’s economic significance as Kenya’s capital.
For a city that serves as an economic hub, Sakaja’s failure to spearhead development is a betrayal of the trust placed in him by voters.
His administration appears out of touch with the needs of the people, prioritizing politics over public service delivery.
As other governors demonstrate that responsible financial management and development are achievable within the same fiscal constraints, Sakaja must answer why Nairobi remains an outlier.
The CoB’s revelations are not just numbers on paper, they reflect the lived realities of Nairobi residents, who continue to endure deteriorating services and unfulfilled promises.
The Controller of Budget’s report has exposed Governor Johnson Sakaja’s glaring failures in financial management and development.
With zero shillings spent on development and mounting pending bills, Nairobi’s leadership has proven unable at addressing the city’s pressing challenges.
The governor must urgently reassess his priorities or face the wrath of an increasingly disillusioned Nairobians.
