Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson held a high-level meeting on Friday with the China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) to advance plans for a 45 MegaWatt Waste-to-Energy plant in Dandora.

Speaking after the meeting, Sakaja hailed the milestone as a breakthrough decades in the making, noting that previous administrations had been unable to take the project this far.

“This project will transform the city while creating green jobs for Nairobi’s youth,” he said.

The agreement marks the signing of a Project Development Agreement between Nairobi City County and CNEEC, with the Ministry of Energy, through EPRA, at an advanced stage of finalizing the Power Purchase Agreement.

Once operational, the plant is expected to address Nairobi’s long-standing solid waste challenges, generating electricity from refuse while promoting environmental sustainability and creating economic opportunities for residents.

This comes as the Governor recently hired 4,000 Green Army workers on permanent and pensionable terms—the first such move since 1987. The county has also acquired 27 tippers, 24 compactor trucks, and skip loaders to strengthen garbage collection.

Looking ahead, Sakaja pointed to the establishment of the Green Nairobi Company Limited, an autonomous body that will manage solid waste and spearhead the development of the 45MW waste-to-energy plant in Dandora.

Governor Sakaja described the project as a game-changer that positions Nairobi as a leader in innovative waste management solutions in Africa.