Johnson Sakaja has defended his administration’s handling of flooding and infrastructure problems in Nairobi, saying the capital is grappling with decades of neglect and cannot be fixed overnight.
Speaking during an interview with Jeff Koinange on Jeff Koinange Live on Sunday, the governor said the city is facing a “generational infrastructure deficit” that dates back many years.
Sakaja explained that much of Nairobi’s drainage system was built for a population of about 500,000 people, far below the millions currently living in the capital.
“There is no quick fix for this city; it is not possible,” Sakaja said. “I was born in this city. A lot of what we are doing is catching up with how derelict it was from 1992. The city is growing, and we are dealing with infrastructure designed for a much smaller city.”
According to the governor, the drainage network is unable to handle the heavy rainfall Nairobi has been experiencing, leading to frequent flooding in several areas.
He emphasized that solving the problem will require cooperation between national and county governments. Sakaja argued that Nairobi, as the country’s capital, should receive additional financial support beyond the standard county revenue allocation.
“The capital city cannot be organized based only on the share of revenue that it gets like other counties,” he said, adding that up to KSh80 billion may be needed to fully address the city’s infrastructure gaps.
The governor also defended his administration’s efforts to remove structures built on riparian land, saying political interference has made enforcement difficult.
Sakaja criticized politicians who encourage residents to resist relocation, yet later blame the county government when disasters occur.
“The same people who cry foul when we evict those on riparian land are the same ones making noise,” he said. “What must be done will be done, regardless of the political ramifications.”
Despite the challenges, Sakaja insisted his administration remains committed to restoring order and improving infrastructure across the city.