Edwin Sifuna Grills Johnson Sakaja Over Nairobi Development Plan

Governor Johnson Sakaja faced strong criticism from Senator Edwin Sifuna in a Senate committee session over Nairobi’s proposed development plan, with the senator questioning the adequacy of public consultation on the multi-billion-shilling project.

The clash centred on whether the county had genuinely engaged residents before advancing the plan, which aims to revamp the city’s infrastructure and revenue systems. Senator Sifuna accused the governor of misrepresenting the consultation process, arguing that the gatherings held were merely staged events and did not constitute meaningful citizen input. 

He emphasised the legal requirement for thorough and binding consultations, stating that mobilisation of crowds alone did not meet this standard. “The law says there must be an agreement. Surely, Governor, you know what you are saying is not true,” Sifuna said, asserting that the process had been superficial.

Governor Sakaja defended his administration’s approach, arguing that a draft document was essential for meaningful discussion. “We took the draft document through public participation because people need a document to discuss. If we did not have a draft, what would we have consulted on?” he questioned. 

While acknowledging that improvements could be made, Sakaja maintained that the county had followed the correct procedures and promised to address public feedback at various government levels. He referenced past projects, such as the Woodley housing initiative, where meaningful public engagement had been prioritised, contrasting this with what he described as inconsistencies in the current process under Sakaja’s leadership.