Nairobi County, under Johnson Sakaja, has awarded a 20-year waste management contract to Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a firm with a documented history of corruption concerns.
The deal covers the management of the 76-acre Dandora dumpsite and the creation of an integrated solid waste system for the whole city. The contract is worth billions of shillings and gives one private company exclusive control over a major public service and asset for two decades.
The tender, numbered NCC/ENV/RFP/109/2025-2026, was opened on January 8, 2026. When bids were reviewed, Zoomlion emerged as the only bidder. This raised immediate questions about how the process was handled. For a project of this size and length, open and competitive bidding is expected to attract multiple local and international firms.
The fact that only one company participated suggests that the process may not have been fully open or attractive to other potential bidders.
Critics argue that this situation weakens confidence in the fairness of the award and raises concerns about whether public procurement rules were properly followed.
Public-private partnership projects are guided by laws that require transparency and oversight. These laws are meant to protect public resources and ensure value for money.
In this case, observers say key steps were either rushed or skipped, including wider consultation and the involvement of oversight bodies such as procurement regulators.
Without these safeguards, a long-term contract risks becoming a closed deal rather than a fair competition that benefits the public.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and the section of county officials during the past visit to one of the dumping sites in Nairobi. Photo Courtesy/The Standard
Zoomlion’s past record adds to the unease. In 2013, the World Bank debarred Zoomlion and its affiliates for two years after the company admitted to paying bribes during a waste project in Liberia.
The ban stopped the company from taking part in World Bank-funded projects worldwide until it was lifted in 2015 after reforms were reported.
More recently, the government of Ghana has moved away from long-term sanitation contracts with Zoomlion, citing concerns over value for money, inflated costs, and service quality. Investigative reports there have questioned whether public funds were used effectively.
Despite these issues, Nairobi County moved forward with the agreement. The 20-year duration is especially worrying because it binds future county leaders and assemblies for several terms.
Many residents do not know the full details of the contract, including performance targets, penalties, or exit options. Civil society groups fear that this lack of openness could expose taxpayers to long-term financial risks.
Nairobi has struggled with garbage collection for years. Uncollected waste is common in estates, markets, and along roads, creating health and environmental dangers.
While recent plans have promised major cleanup efforts and possible relocation of Dandora, this contract raises doubts about those promises. Awarding exclusive control to one foreign firm at this moment may weaken trust and limit chances to build strong local solutions.
The Sakaja administration now faces serious questions. Why was there only one bidder?
Why was a company with a troubled history chosen? Why commit the city for 20 years without full public disclosure?
These questions matter because waste management affects daily life, public health, and the use of public money. Nairobi residents have waited a long time for reliable and honest reform. This decision, as it stands, feels less like progress and more like a missed chance to do better.
