Members of the Nairobi City County Assembly (MCAs) have expressed strong support for the cooperation agreement between William Ruto and Johnson Sakaja, calling it a people-centred framework aimed at improving essential services and accelerating development in the city.
Speaking on Thursday, Minority Leader Anthony Kiragu said the agreement is designed to deliver tangible benefits for residents, from clean water and better streets to more efficient urban services.
“We welcome and fully embrace this partnership,” the MCAs said.
“This cooperation is people-centred and focuses on the essential services that residents of Nairobi have long awaited. It is an arrangement designed to accelerate development projects and significantly improve service delivery across the city.”
Nominated MCA Nasra Narda highlighted Nairobi’s broader significance for the country.
“The failure of Nairobi is the failure of Kenya and its success is the success of Kenya,” she said.
“There is propaganda being propagated against the Governor that will only hurt Nairobians. Nairobi people deserve clean water, clean streets and services. Let us not reduce ourselves to political rhetoric,” Nasra added.
The Minority leader added that the city’s problems did not start recently, highlighting the need for collaboration to tackle long-standing challenges.
Oversight remains key
The MCAs acknowledged they have not yet seen the full cooperation document but assured residents they will review it when officially tabled.
“As the MCAs of Nairobi, we have not gotten hold of the document. We have not seen it. But we will get time to interact with the document,” Kiragu said.
Nasra stressed that residents should be the ultimate judges of the agreement.
“The most important people in that document are the Nairobi residents. Let it come and they interact with it. Let them be the judge. It is premature for people to take sides before they have interacted,” she said.
National funding seen as a boost, not takeover
Questions had arisen about the Sh80 billion funding from the national government and the high number of national officials on the steering committee.
Kiragu described the funding as a blessing and part of collaboration, not a takeover.
“The Sh80 billion is coming from the national government, and that is a blessing if you ask me because the county doesn’t have all the finances. Different ministries and departments from the National Government will be involved, including water, environment, and others. That is why we have more members from the national government sitting in that committee,” he said.
The Minority Leader reassured residents that the county government remains in control.
“But this is a collaboration and not a takeover. The county government still remains in control of the functions,” Kiragu added
MPs also back the framework
The agreement has also received backing from a section of Nairobi Members of Parliament, who dismissed claims that it transfers county functions to the national government.
Led by T. J. Kajwang and including Esther Passaris, Felix Odiwuor (Jalang’o), Peter Orero, Senators Tabitha Mutinda, and Karen Nyamu, the MPs said the February 17 agreement is anchored in Article 189 of the Constitution and Section 6 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act.
It provides a structured framework for coordination between the national and county governments in managing Nairobi.
“This is not a transfer of functions. The agreement does not invoke Article 187 of the Constitution and does not transfer any constitutional mandate from the Nairobi City County Government to the National Government,” the MPs said.
MPs led by Ruaraka lawmaker T. J Kajwang (C) speaking during a press briefing at Parliament buildings on February 19, 2026. PHOTO/Tania WanjikuThey emphasized that Nairobi’s role as the capital city requires collaboration beyond ordinary county operations.
“Nairobi is not only a county government under Article 176 of the Constitution; it is the Capital City of the Republic of Kenya. Effective governance of the Capital City requires structured cooperation between the two levels of government,” Kajwang said.
The MPs said the agreement prioritizes service delivery in areas such as solid waste management, roads, street lighting, markets, MSME infrastructure, housing, water, sanitation, and environmental rehabilitation.
“The focus is service delivery, not politics. These are everyday realities affecting families, traders, commuters, and businesses across Nairobi,” they said.
They assured residents that public funds under the framework will be subject to oversight through the Public Finance Management Act, parliamentary scrutiny, audits by the Auditor-General, and public participation requirements.
“Transparency and accountability are not optional; they are mandatory. As Members of Parliament, we will support what works, question what must be clarified, and ensure that implementation delivers measurable outcomes,” the statement added.
