‘Wizi bila jasho!’ How Sakaja paid Ksh39B for air

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has been exposed in yet another multibillion scandal.

According to the Business Daily newspaper headline on Thursday, September 18, 2025, City Hall under Sakaja’s watch is said to have paid out fake supplier bills amounting to a staggering Sh39 billion.

The audit by the Controller of Budget revealed that the pending bills were not only inflated but in some cases entirely ghost payments for services and supplies that never existed.

This is the latest in a string of scandals that have defined Sakaja’s tenure at the helm of Nairobi, reinforcing the argument that he has presided over one of the most incompetent and corruption-riddled county governments in Kenya’s history.

The billions lost could have built hospitals, fixed roads, improved waste management and ensured Nairobi residents get the services they deserve.

Instead, the money disappeared into thin air under the smiling watch of a governor more concerned with his dimples and public relations than actual governance.

For weeks, Members of the County Assembly were pushing to impeach Sakaja over incompetence and runaway corruption. However, that process was thwarted, with both President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga accused of quietly ganging up to shield him from removal.

Their political calculations to protect Sakaja now appear reckless as the City Hall rot continues to deepen, dragging Nairobi further into crisis.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, one of Sakaja’s fiercest critics, tore into him following the revelations. “Wamadimplez ni kulipa tu hewa kila mahali.  When is enough enough?” Babu asked.

The Sh39 billion fake bills saga has now cemented Sakaja’s image as a governor who has failed the capital.

With garbage still uncollected, traffic getting worse, and key services collapsing, the question is no longer whether Sakaja is incompetent, but how much longer Nairobians will be forced to endure the cost of his leadership.