Defiant Sakaja deflects blame as Nairobians call for his ouster after deadly floods

After remaining tight-lipped for 48 hours, Governor Sakaja maintained a defiant stance during an interview with Citizen TV's Jeff Koinange and Olive Burrows on how the expectations of Nairobians are "extremely high" and will not take any responsibility for the incident.

Kenyans have blamed the governor for turning a blind eye to prioritising the installation of efficient drainage channels, as many have faulted rapid urbanisation and poor planning as the cause of flooding, even during light rains.

The governor asserted that he will not resign, a demand made by many city dwellers, holding that he has the best remedy to develop Nairobi to international standards with the appropriate financing.

"I am not resigning. I am working, and every day I do my best, given the limitations we have as a city. Of course, the expectations are extremely high, and I understand them, but I genuinely put myself out there to solve the problems with what I have," he said.

"I know where I have gotten this city from, I know what the plan is, and I have figured out how to plug the deficit of financing, and you will see the results. I want to see my city change. I have the best intentions for this city; this is where I was born."

Sakaja added that the situation cannot be solved by a quick fix, and the city’s drainage system is not designed to handle the intensity of rainfall being experienced.

He opined that the only solution would be to streamline avenues for financing to address what he termed a generational infrastructure deficit.

According to him, remittance of fees to the County Government has remained an uphill task since only small businesses and parking fees have remained compliant, whilst big remitters remain non-compliant.

Nairobi mainly generates revenue from parking and business operations fees, land rates, building permits, and outdoor advertising.

"We must look at the financing of the Capital because even what is being paid is not enough, and many more are not paying. The burden of the city is being carried on the shoulders of Mama Mboga, he said.

"There is no magic solution you will have for the city unless you finance those interventions. We receive an equitable share of Ksh.1.7 billion a month, and Ksh.1.5 billion goes to salaries and Ksh.200 million goes to the Assembly and finances to cover drainage expansions, market construction, buying new cars..."

Governor Sakaja holds that the county will not compensate those who were severely affected by the floods, insisting that the initiative is not under the purview of the County Government.

Many cars were submerged along main city roads, motorists were forced to wade through deep waters, and businesses were destroyed in many parts of the affected areas.

He reckoned that the only way to make Nairobi develop to the standards of Singapore, which the country uses as its development benchmark, is to significantly raise funding.

"Leadership is not always popular. People must find the softest place to blame. The sheer amount required for a Capital of our stature if we want to go to Singapore is a minimum of Ksh.60 billion; otherwise, I am a glorified cashier paying salaries," he noted.

"If your car got messed up on the Expressway, why would the county compensate you? It’s not the county’s road; the county has no budget for that road or all other roads. All these places that had all of these problems are not under the purview of the county. I will not take responsibility for something that is not my function, it is not under my purview, and somebody else has a budget for it."

The embattled governor said that the contentious Ksh.80 billion cooperation agreement between the National Government and Nairobi City County Government will significantly change the ambition to cure the perennial problems dogging Nairobians for aeons.

Part of the sectors the deal will focus on includes the road network is set to be revamped as every ward is set to have a one-kilometre road expansion, a project that will cost Ksh.7 billion.

An additional Ksh.3.7 billion is set to be used to add 50,000 street lights, as Sakaja noted that the electricity bill will be paid by the national government.