Sakaja says dumping of waste at Stima Plaza ‘uncouth, completely off’ » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 3 – Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has described last week’s dumping of waste at Stima Plaza as ‘uncouth’ and ‘completely off.’
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Administration and National Security committee, Sakaja vowed that the incident will not be repeated under his watch.
The governor reiterated that, while the county has its grievances with KPLC, including the power company’s refusal to settle land-related dues, the public should not be used as a pawn in this dispute.
“I lead a big institution. I have almost 20,000 staff, but the ultimate responsibility stops with me as the governor. On behalf of the staff, I apologize to the people of Kenya, to the people of Nairobi, and to the residents and businesspeople there. This should never have happened, and it will not happen again under my watch,” Sakaja stated.
The ongoing payment dispute between Nairobi County and KPLC stems from a historic claim that Kenya Power owes the county government approximately Sh4.9 billion.
The controversy emerged amid an ongoing dispute between the Nairobi County Government and Kenya Power over outstanding payments, including a substantial bill that KPLC claims is owed by the county.
Following this, the governor told the committee that two county Revenue Department officers John Ntointi and James Sankale have been interdicted following the incident.
He confirmed that his administration, in collaboration with the National Police Service, is conducting a thorough inquiry to ensure that justice is served.
“We have already acted, and I have interdicted two officers involved in this incident. Investigations are ongoing, and we will hold those responsible accountable,” he submitted.
Debt Tussle
This stems from unpaid rates for power infrastructure and easements, such as electrical power supply, water, and sewage systems.
According to the governor, Kenya Power had previously gone to court in 2017 to challenge the requirement for payment, but the case was dismissed by the courts, which reinforced the obligation for payment by the power company.
Despite these claims, Sakaja emphasized that Nairobi County is committed to resolving the financial dispute in a manner that is fair to all parties.
He pointed out that during his tenure, the county has engaged in joint verification exercises with KPLC to reduce the disputed amount owed to state agency from an initial 3 billion shillings to a more manageable Sh1.5 billion.
“The bulk of the debt is not from City Hall, nor from our hospitals, but rather from street lighting services, which is a critical security concern for Nairobi. We pay for the lighting in the entire city. If KPLC chooses to cut off power, it affects security, and we cannot allow that to happen,” Sakaja explained.
In a bid to resolve the escalating tension, the Office of the President through Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi intervened, calling for dialogue between the two parties to address the ongoing issues.
A joint meeting was held at the Office of the President, where a path forward was agreed upon with a subsequent meeting set to be held on Wednesday this week to conclusively resolve the matter.
“We are now sitted on the table and am glad we will now have a silver lining because now we are respecting each other during the discussion as we discuss this matter,” the Governor remarked.
Sakaja reassured Nairobi residents that the county’s security and public health teams had acted swiftly to clean up and restore the area around Stima Plaza, further emphasizing the administration’s commitment to maintaining a clean and orderly city.
“We have cleaned up the area, done fumigation, and we will continue to work with NEMA to ensure that Nairobi remains a city that upholds high standards of order and professionalism,” he said.