Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna accuses President Ruto of grabbing power in Nairobi County, calling for the shelving of the cooperation deal between the two levels of government.

Speaking in a press release in Nairobi on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Sifuna said that the pact signed at State House in Nairobi on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, violated the provisions of the constitution that provide for public participation to be done before such a move.

“It is a mockery of the public for you to do something, then later say you will have public participation. It means that you have already made up your mind and that you will do an exercise that is cosmetic. They are not anticipating a scenario in which it will be rejected…We are saying, shelve this thing, go through a proper process. There are legal processes for you to channel money if the need for Nairobi, for instance, has been identified as unique,” Sifuna said.

The outspoken senator, who is a critic of the Ruto government, and Governor Sakaja have also called on the national government to remit money owed to the county government of Nairobi, amounting to Ksh100 billion. He has stated that if the money were to be channelled to the county, there would be no need for a cooperation agreement between the county and the national government.

“The state owes Nairobi County 100 billion. If the funds are allocated to the county, there would be no need for cooperation between the two entities,” Sifuna added.

Sifuna has said that the agreement replicates the NMS model, which, according to him, threatens oversight and accountability by the County Assembly, the Senate, and the Office of the Auditor-General.

Sakaja said that development in the county could be achieved without compromising constitutional provisions. His call raises questions about the consultation process and the balance of power in the new framework.

Sifuna has urged both the national and county governments to reconsider the agreement to safeguard devolved governance and public interest.