Senator Edwin Sifuna now says that he will reject any plans by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration to transfer functions to the National Government.
In a statement on Tuesday, February 17, Senator Sifuna implored Governor Sakaja to remain true to his and reject any push to cede some county functions to the National Government.
“The Governor of Nairobi assured us he wasn’t transferring any functions to the National Government. I’m surprised to see a scheduled “signing ceremony” at State House this afternoon,” Sifuna wrote on his Facebook account.
According to the Nairobi senator, a decision by the county government to transfer any functions to the upper level of government must be subjected to the people of Nairobi, who mandated the governor through elections, and who have the final say on matters devolution under the constitution.
“As we wait to see what the actual thing is, I remind Sakaja Johnson to be mindful of the provisions of the constitution and the need for involvement of the electorate and the leadership of Nairobi prior to making such decisions,” Sifuna said.
He added: “Any unconstitutional clawback to devolution shall be strenuously resisted. A comprehensive statement shall follow.”
Sakaja: I will not betray you
Last week during his State of the County Address at the Nairobi County Assembly, Governor Sakaja issued a strong rebuttal to speculation that his recent meeting with President William Ruto signaled a transfer of county functions to the National Government, declaring that he would “not betray” the constitutional mandate entrusted to him by city residents.
During the address, Sakaja dismissed the claims as a “misadventure,” drawing a sharp distinction between intergovernmental collaboration and the surrender of devolved powers. He maintained that while cooperation with the National Government would continue, Nairobi’s core functions would remain firmly under county control.
The Governor directly referenced the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) period, describing it as costly, disruptive, and damaging to staff morale, and blamed it for leaving the county with about KSh 16 billion in pending bills. He said the experience underscored the need to protect devolution while still pursuing structured partnerships that benefit residents.
