The national government and Nairobi County have agreed on four development areas, where the state will channel funds in a deal that eerily mirrors the controversial Nairobi Metropolitan Services deal entered into in 2020.
Announced by President William Ruto on Sunday, October 12, the deal is aimed at overhauling Nairobi into a clean, modern, and globally competitive city.
Speaking during the 70th anniversary celebration of the Africa Inland Church (AIC) Ziwani, Ruto said the deal involves a citywide cleanup initiative, adding that the national government was in the final stages of signing an agreement with the private sector to support cleanup efforts.
"I sat down with the governor and Nairobi MPs, and we came up with a plan to transform Nairobi since it is the face of the country," Ruto said.
"The move will target all our estates and we are in the final stages of signing an agreement with the private sector on how we are going to clean our city. It cannot continue the way it is."
Addressing congregants and leaders gathered for the church milestone, Ruto also revealed plans to address the road situation in Nairobi, highlighting the need to do away with all murram networks, which tend to get muddy when it rains.
In his address, Ruto confirmed that the national government would allocate resources to ensure roads are rehabilitated and upgraded.
Thirdly, the President highlighted lighting as another critical aspect of his transformation blueprint, noting that large sections of the city remained shrouded in darkness due to a lack of street lighting, which he linked to rising insecurity and underdevelopment.
Ruto added, "The third issue is we have agreed to light up the city because there is darkness in a lot of areas, and that leads to other things. So I want to say that I have agreed that the national government will work with the county government to ensure Nairobi becomes mobile and motorable, clean, and a city in the light and not in darkness."
Part of the reason the president is intent on transforming Nairobi is that he strongly believes Kenya has the potential to move from a third-world to a first-world country over the next three decades.
“We have the resources to move this country to a first-world country by 2055,” he said. “That is our target, and I have no doubt we will get there," he reiterated.
One of the most tangible clean-up exercises under Ruto's regime is the cleaning up of the Nairobi River, in an exercise which is expected to be completed by January 2027.
A bigger chunk of the Ksh40 billion allocated to the project will go towards the construction of the sewerage system from households to make Nairobi a modern city.
The timing of the deal has raised eyebrows, as it comes at a time barely weeks after Ruto and ODM party leader Raila Odinga saved Sakaja from a highly charged impeachment plot.
At the time, the leaders gave Sakaja three months to show progress or face an impeachment.
