In 2022, Nairobians, just like many Kenyans, made a grave mistake. Voting for dimples instead of demanding proven governance for the capital city of Kenya, the gateway to East Africa.
Latest reports that a contractor died while allegedly awaiting Ksh36 million in unpaid dues have confirmed what many residents have quietly feared, that something is fundamentally broken at City Hall.
Beatrice Njeri’s family says she completed a 2.7-kilometre road project in Ruai in September 2024. They say invoices were raised in October that year. Nearly two years later, the money had not been paid.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja looking emotional durng a past event. Photo: Nation Source: Facebook.
Loans mounted. Equipment was repossessed. Depression reportedly set in. A Ksh3.2 million hospital bill now keeps her body detained.
If these claims are accurate, then Nairobi County is not merely dealing with delayed paperwork. It is presiding over a humanitarian and governance failure.
A city does not run on speeches. It runs on systems. Contractors finance projects through bank loans. They employ workers. They fuel machinery. When counties delay payment for months or years, the consequences are brutal and predictable.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during a past Senate session. Photo: Standard Digital. Source: Facebook.
Governor Johnson Sakaja must address this crisis with urgency and transparency. How many pending bills exist? What is the total amount owed? What is the payment plan? Silence is not leadership.
Nairobi is not a campaign stage. It is the country’s economic heartbeat. When contractors collapse, development stalls. When businesses suffer, families break.
Leadership demands competence, structure, and accountability. The people of Nairobi deserve answers — not charm, not optics, not excuses.
Because governance is not about personality. It is about responsibility.