Our turn to eat as Nairobi go dry? Johnson Sakaja has stirred public anger after claims that his administration awarded a lucrative garbage collection and waste management tender to a corruption-tainted foreign firm, raising serious questions about transparency, accountability, and the future of Nairobi’s public resources.
At the center of the controversy is Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a company based in Accra, which has been awarded a 20-year waste management contract by Nairobi County.
The deal is estimated to be worth billions of shillings and grants the firm exclusive rights to manage the 76-acre Dandora dumpsite, alongside operating an integrated solid waste management system across the capital.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during a past media engagement. Photo: Johson Sakaja Source: Facebook
Critics argue that the length of the contract alone is alarming. A 20-year tenure means the agreement will outlast at least three gubernatorial terms, effectively binding future county governments to a deal whose full financial and operational terms remain largely opaque to the public.
Civil society groups warn that such long-term commitments without broad public scrutiny expose taxpayers to massive financial risk.
Concerns have been amplified by Zoomlion’s controversial track record. The company was previously blacklisted by the World Bank and was recently dropped by the government of Ghana over integrity and corruption concerns.
Activists question why Nairobi County would entrust a critical public service and strategic asset to a firm with such a history.
According to information emerging from investigations, Zoomlion was the sole bidder in the tender process, a fact that has raised red flags over whether the procurement was competitive, fair, or lawful.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja anf president William Ruto at the past event. Photo Courtesy/Nairobi Leo.
The tender, issued under Tender No: NCC/ENV/RFP/109/2025-2026, was opened on January 8, 2026. Critics argue that the process bypassed international competitive bidding standards and failed to meet the threshold required for large-scale Public Private Partnership projects.
Further controversy surrounds claims that the procurement sidelined the Public Procurement Directorate, a move experts say could amount to a violation of public procurement and PPP regulations.
Transparency advocates insist that any contract of this magnitude should have undergone rigorous oversight, public participation, and independent review.
As pressure mounts, Nairobi residents and watchdog groups are demanding full disclosure of the contract terms, justification for selecting Zoomlion as the sole bidder, and clarity on how the deal protects public interest.
Sakaja awards form garbage collection.
For many Kenyans, the tender has become a symbol of deeper concerns about governance, foreign contracts, and whether City Hall is prioritizing service delivery or private gain at the expense of taxpayers.
All the same, Sakaja has also been fingered for using PR to hide his incompetence. For instance, before the signing of the deal that saw the national government take some functions, several billboards praising him were spotted in major places in Nairobi.
