To restore Nairobi, tackle governance issues

Cities often mirror living organisms: their health is reflected in how efficiently core systems such as transport, water supply, waste management, and governance function. When these systems weaken, the symptoms become visible—severe traffic congestion, polluted rivers, unreliable water supply, and growing waste accumulation.

Nairobi, Kenya’s economic and administrative capital, is confronting such a moment. The new Sh80 billion cooperation agreement with the national government may determine whether the city restores these critical systems or continues managing the consequences of long-standing urban inefficiencies.

The agreement, signed at State House and overseen by a steering committee chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has generated cautious optimism. Structured as a partnership rather than a takeover of county functions, the initiative targets key areas including: solid waste management, water and sewerage infrastructure, urban mobility, street lighting, and market development.

However, its success will depend less on the amount of funding committed but more on whether it delivers meaningful structural reform, institutional clarity, and sustained political will.

Rehabilitation programmes

Nairobi’s history of urban renewal efforts offers a cautionary backdrop. Past initiatives, including river rehabilitation programmes, absorbed significant public resources but struggled to achieve lasting transformation. For the current agreement to mark a genuine turning point, it must address the governance weaknesses that have repeatedly undermined previous reforms.

Transport remains one of Nairobi’s most pressing challenges. While the new plan includes road upgrades and expanded street lighting, the city’s mobility crisis is largely institutional. The delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Lines 2 and 3, initially developed through the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, remain stalled.

Without an operational BRT network supported by coordinated route planning, digitised fare systems, and structured engagement with transport operators, congestion will continue to undermine productivity and urban efficiency.

Traffic management has also been hindered by overlapping mandates between institutions. Long-standing disputes among the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Nairobi County, and the national traffic police over traffic control have complicated coordinated management.

A modern city cannot function effectively when responsibilities for road engineering, traffic lights, and enforcement remain unclear. Resolving these institutional conflicts would remove a major administrative bottleneck.

Water and sanitation infrastructure present another urgent concern. Plans to upgrade the Ng’ethu Treatment Plant and build a 27-kilometre trunk sewer are necessary steps, but Nairobi’s daily water deficit—estimated at about 460,000 cubic meters—requires a broader metropolitan response.

Diversify water sources

Successful cities diversify water sources, invest in recycling and reuse, deploy smart metering to reduce losses, and protect catchment areas through strong environmental regulation. Without reducing non-revenue water and modernising ageing distribution systems, rationing will remain a structural challenge.

Waste management remains one of Nairobi’s most visible governance failures. Despite substantial public spending, inefficiencies and cartelised systems persist, while the overstretched Dandora dumpsite continues to pose environmental and public health risks.

Globally, cities are shifting from “collect-and-dump” models to circular waste economies that emphasise recycling, waste-to-energy technologies, digitised tracking systems, and performance-based private sector contracts.

River rehabilitation faces similar obstacles. Despite several initiatives, pollution, encroachment, and untreated industrial discharge continue to affect Nairobi’s waterways. International experience shows that effective river restoration requires strict zoning enforcement, relocation of illegal developments, and transparent monitoring of water quality.

This new cooperation therefore, represents a rare opportunity. If implemented with transparency, legal clarity, and measurable targets, it could address Nairobi’s long-standing governance challenges.

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The writer is a governance & public policy expert and former CECM for Roads, Transport and Public Works, Nairobi City County.