Nairobi County, under Governor Johnson Sakaja’s leadership, spent zero shillings on development between July and October this year.
This is according to a report by Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang’o, which scrutinised county expenditure at the start of the financial year.
Sakaja’s Nairobi wasn’t alone. The report highlighted nine other counties—including Kajiado, Baringo, and Lamu—that similarly allocated nothing to development projects during the four-month period.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Johnson Sakaja. Photo: Johnson Sakaja Source: Facebook
Contrast this with Narok’s Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, who led the pack by investing Ksh.477 million in development, followed by Anne Waiguru of Kirinyaga at Ksh.378 million, and Busia’s Paul Otuoma at Ksh.328 million. These counties demonstrate what effective prioritisation of resources can achieve.
However, Nairobi faces an even bigger financial hurdle: a staggering Ksh.121 billion in pending bills, the highest among all counties. Garissa, Kiambu, and Turkana follow with pending bills of Ksh.6 billion, Ksh.5.9 billion, and Ksh.4.8 billion respectively.
The CoB has urged governors to address these bills as a first priority, reminding them of Senate recommendations to ensure service providers are compensated promptly.
Johnson Sakaja smiles during a past UDA meeting
For Nairobi residents, these revelations spark concerns over stalled infrastructure, inadequate public services, and a lack of transparency in how funds are managed. As pressure mounts, Governor Sakaja is yet to respond to the report, leaving many questioning the county’s development agenda.
With billions owed and no investment in growth, will Sakaja’s administration steer Nairobi back on course? The clock is ticking, and Nairobians are watching closely.
