Sifuna slams Ruto, Sakaja deal, says his office was sidestepped

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has raised strong objections to the cooperation agreement signed on February 17 between President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, saying his office was not consulted and the deal undermines constitutional principles.

Speaking to the press on February 18, Sifuna, who chairs the Senate committee responsible for defending county governments, said the agreement was signed without public participation, a move he described as “too egregious to ignore.”

“My office was neither involved nor consulted before this decision was taken. Indeed, the so-called cooperation agreement itself acknowledges that no public participation was conducted prior to the signing yesterday,” Sifuna said.

“To then provide in the same agreement that it would be subjected to public participation after the fact is not only disrespectful to the people of Nairobi but the clearest indication that it is anything but what we are being told it is.”

The Senator noted that the agreement is expected to take effect within 14 days, raising questions over whether meaningful public input can occur in such a short period. Clause 6.2 of the agreement, he said, limits public involvement to amendments, effectively ignoring the possibility that residents may reject the deal entirely.


Sifuna also criticised the composition of the steering committee overseeing the agreement, noting that two-thirds of its 12 members are national government appointees.


“From its structure, the Governor will play subservient to the Prime Cabinet Secretary, making Sakaja the new Deputy Governor for all intents and purposes. This, to me, is not cooperation but takeover,” he said.

The Senator referenced a recent address by Governor Sakaja to the Nairobi City County Assembly, in which Sakaja criticised the so-called National Management Services experiment that left Sh16 billion in unpaid bills.

Sifuna argued that the new cooperation agreement perpetuates similar risks. “This agreement is a blatant continuation of the NMS model, and with it, the culture of unpaid bills, weak audit systems and unbridled corruption,” he said.

Sifuna highlighted that the national government still owes Nairobi County over Sh100 billion in unpaid rates and other obligations. He called the President’s reference to Sh80 billion as “a symbol of his generosity” a ruse.

The Senator added that national agencies such as KURA and KeRRA continue to execute county functions, including road construction, contrary to the Constitution and previous agreements.

“The Constitution recognises only two levels of roads. National Trunk Roads and County Roads. Yet, national government agencies continue to insist on doing roads in Nairobi when they clearly need to hand over those roads and the attendant resources to the County Government,” Sifuna said, citing the Memorandum of Understanding President Ruto signed with Raila Odinga in March 2025, which he claims is being violated.

Sifuna outlined alternatives that, in his view, would respect both the law and public interest. These include directing national agencies to clear all debts to the people of Nairobi, transferring all county functions to local authorities, using conditional grants to fund specific projects, and ensuring timely disbursement of county revenues.

“So you see Mr President, it is possible to remain faithful to your oath of Office. We want development, but only if undertaken in strict accordance with the Constitution. This in fact is the very foundation of leadership,” he said.


The Senator concluded by urging both the national and county governments to shelve the agreement, saying, “I urge both parties to shelve this agreement in the public interest and maintain fidelity to the Constitution.”