Nairobi residents are now facing one of the most hostile periods in the city’s history under the leadership of Governor Johnson Sakaja. What was once expected to be a progressive administration has turned into a nightmare for churches, businesses, and homeowners. The rates collection process has taken a brutal direction, with complaints that county officials have now militarized the entire operation.
Instead of seeking cooperation, they are storming properties with enforcement teams, causing fear, humiliation, and loss. According to various reports, churches are being raided, business premises are being locked, and residents are being harassed just to squeeze out what the county claims to be unpaid land rates. The amounts being demanded are not only outrageous but also poorly justified, with many now questioning where the money is really going.
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja. /FILE
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino added his voice to the growing frustration by posting on Instagram. In his post, he accused Governor Sakaja of running a corrupt county government that has militarized the collection of rates.
He said churches, businesses, and homes were being targeted with cruelty, only for the money to end up in the pockets of a few greedy officials. His post struck a chord with many Nairobians who feel that they are being used as cash cows to fund a system riddled with corruption.
Babu’s direct attack on Sakaja exposed what many have been whispering in fear that there is no transparency, no accountability, and no genuine plan to improve the city. Instead, the county government is using force to collect money that doesn’t seem to benefit the public in any visible way.
It is becoming clear that this is not about public service but about filling the accounts of corrupt county heads and their inner circles. Several buildings have already been shut down, and businesses have had their assets seized.
In one case, even a church compound was reportedly locked over disputed arrears. For small businesses barely surviving in this tough economy, this harassment is pushing them closer to closure.
Churches that offer community support now find themselves trapped in legal and financial battles with the county. Homeowners who cannot afford the high rates are now living in fear of losing their properties.
Instead of offering relief or flexible payment plans, Sakaja’s administration has chosen threats and brute force. The sight of uniformed officers accompanying county agents to seal off properties is becoming more common, and the residents feel like they’re living under a dictatorship, not a democratically elected county government.
Many are now accusing the governor of betraying the very people who voted for him. What makes it worse is that despite these aggressive collections, there is little to show for it. Roads remain broken, garbage is piling up, and water shortages are still a daily reality. People are paying more but getting less in return.
Corruption allegations have intensified as more insiders hint that the revenue collected does not go through proper channels. Babu Owino made it clear that these funds are lining the pockets of senior county officials instead of improving services.
Johnson Sakaja. Photo courtesy.
This mirrors other past scandals in the Sakaja administration, including questionable procurement deals and unexplained expenditures. The public has now lost trust in the entire system, and the constant use of force is only deepening the gap between the government and the people.
Johnson Sakaja came into office promising fresh leadership and new ideas, but the reality has turned into a disaster.
