A prolonged power blackout at Nairobi City Hall has laid bare the financial and budget challenges facing Nairobi City County, with key public services grinding to a halt after Kenya Power disconnected electricity over an unpaid bill estimated at Sh3 billion.
The outage, which has now entered its third week, has disrupted the county's day-to-day operations, affecting revenue collection, payment of business permits, supplier payments, parking services and customer care. Digital systems have repeatedly gone offline whenever backup generators are switched off, making it difficult for residents to access services.
The power disconnection comes as the county faces a month-long standoff between Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration and the County Assembly over delays in approving the 2026/27 budget. The impasse has left the county without the legal authority to spend public funds, worsening the operational crisis.
Kenya Power confirmed that the disconnection followed the county's failure to honour a payment agreement reached in 2024.
"It is true that we disconnected City Hall because the county has not honoured the agreement reached in 2024," a Kenya Power official said. "Unlike other counties, we struggle a lot when it comes to power bills."
County officials said backup generators have only been running for a few hours each day because of the high cost of fuel, leaving many county services unavailable for long periods.
"The systems go down once the generators are switched off, leaving residents stranded," an official said.
The budget deadlock has also drawn concern from Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, who warned that the continued delay in approving the county's spending plans would bring operations to a standstill.
"They cannot spend anything now. Salaries will be the first casualty," she said.
The effects of the crisis have spread beyond City Hall, with Wakulima Market also experiencing power outages for more than a week. Traders say the lack of electricity has affected their businesses and increased the risk of losses as perishable goods go bad.
"If he does not resolve it by Friday, we will march to City Hall with rotten produce," trader Agnes Wambua said.
The ongoing blackout and budget dispute have left residents and businesses facing growing disruptions, with several county services operating below capacity as efforts to resolve the financial and budget crisis remain stalled.