Pauline Njoroge warns Kenya must fix Nairobi’s basics before chasing Singapore dream
By Kiprono Keileb, December 20, 2025Jubilee Party Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge has raised concern over the state of Kenya’s capital, saying the country risks chasing big development dreams while ignoring basic problems that affect daily life.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, December 20, 2025, Njoroge said comparisons with global cities like Singapore ring hollow when Nairobi continues to struggle with filth, poor sanitation, and weak enforcement. Her remarks come amid ongoing public debate over the government’s frequent references to Singapore as a model for Kenya’s development path.
“It’s good to aspire to be like Singapore. But before we dream big, we must first get the basics right. Development doesn’t work when we skip fundamental steps,” she wrote
Njoroge pointed to Singapore’s history, noting that its progress did not begin with flashy projects but with simple, disciplined actions that improved how people lived day to day. She said order and basic services laid the foundation for later economic growth, something she feels Kenya has overlooked while pushing grand visions.
“Singapore’s transformation started with very simple things like clean streets, proper sanitation, good drainage, and strict enforcement. Order came first, then growth followed,” she stated
Turning her focus to Nairobi, Njoroge painted a grim picture of the capital’s current condition, saying the city falls far short of the standards needed to support healthy living and meaningful development. She argued that no city can claim world-class status while basic services remain broken.
“Meanwhile, in our case, our capital is drowning in filth, poor waste management, bad drainage, and unsafe sanitation. A city that wants to look like Singapore cannot be dirty, disorganised, and unhealthy,” she stated
She further expressed alarm over the spread of illegal dumping sites across Nairobi, warning that they pose serious health and environmental risks to residents. Njoroge shared a personal experience to underline the scale of the problem, raising questions about governance and accountability at City Hall.
“What is even more worrying is the rise of illegal, non-gazetted dump sites across the city. These dumps pose serious health and environmental risks. I recently came across one somewhere on Likoni road (attached photo) that was so large it almost felt like Dandora had been moved there. Even more concerning is the claim that some of these illegal dump sites are protected by garbage cartels,” she said
Njoroge concluded by calling for a return to basics, insisting that real national progress must start with restoring order in Nairobi. She placed the blame squarely on the city administration, saying failure at the capital level reflects a deeper governance problem that must be addressed urgently.
“If we truly want to transform our country, we must start with the unglamorous basics, like restoring order in our capital city. Clean streets, proper waste management, and firm enforcement matter. Real progress begins with order. We must first fix the fundamentals. We must first fix our capital city! The city-county government is failing us,” she concluded