Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s time in office has faced many challenges. From the day he took over City Hall, his leadership has been questioned by residents, leaders, and civil society groups.
The main concerns are poor service delivery, rising county expenses, and questionable decisions that many believe are driven by politics rather than public interest.
One of the biggest problems is the increasing wage bill. Sakaja is accused of creating many advisory positions that seem unnecessary. People believe these jobs were given to friends and political allies as a way of rewarding loyalty.
This has made it harder for the county to manage its money well, especially when basic services like garbage collection remain below standard. In several parts of the city, especially in informal settlements, trash piles up on the streets and the roads are in terrible condition.
Public hospitals continue to struggle with shortages of medicine, equipment, and staff, affecting poor families the most.Sakaja had promised major changes to Nairobi’s urban planning.
Among his key projects were moving matatus out of the Central Business District, building the Green Park terminus, and easing traffic in the city. However, these plans have faced resistance.
Many matatu operators and small traders said they were never asked for their views, and some of the changes were introduced without proper planning.
This confusion led to protests and even court cases, which forced the county to stop or revise some of the projects.The issue of accountability has made matters worse.
There are serious claims of corruption involving county tenders. Some contracts are said to be overpriced or awarded unfairly. Civil society groups have asked for investigations into these tenders and have demanded that all financial records of Sakaja’s big projects be made public.
A lot of attention has been drawn to the Dishi na County school feeding program, which has been criticized for being too expensive and offering poor quality meals. Parents and education officials have raised concerns about how the program is being run and whether it’s really helping children.
Tensions between the governor and the Nairobi County Assembly have also been high. MCAs accuse Sakaja of ignoring their input, refusing to follow budget rules, and acting with arrogance. These disagreements have slowed down key county decisions.
Still, Sakaja insists that he is working for Nairobi’s future and that those attacking him are only doing so for political reasons.
But with growing public dissatisfaction and more questions about transparency, many Nairobi residents remain doubtful about the direction the city is heading under his leadership.
Adding pressure to it is the recent demonstrations with reports linking Sakaja direct in which he sponsored goons to cause mayhem on peacefull protesters.
