President William Ruto has addressed the mounting frustration regarding the state of Kenya’s capital, admitting that Nairobi is currently functioning “below its status” as a major African metropolis.

Addressing the Nairobi County Assembly on Thursday, April 9, 2026, President Ruto said he has carefully listened to the “frustration,” “disappointment,” and “anger” expressed by residents, business owners, and international investors who often compare Nairobi unfavourably to other global cities.

He stated that the concerns raised by the public are valid, particularly regarding the city’s struggle to maintain basic urban order.

“I have listened carefully to what Kenyans say about our city. I have heard their frustration. I have heard their disappointment. I have heard their anger sometimes, and I have heard what residents say, what businesses say, what visitors say, what investors say, and what Kenyans in the for us say when they compare Nairobi with other cities across Africa and beyond. And the truth is this, many of them are right,” Ruto noted.

Development planning

The President highlighted a massive gap between the city’s rapid population growth and its developmental planning.

He said that while Nairobi’s population has exploded from fewer than 300,000 people in 1960 to nearly 5 million residents today, the infrastructure and service delivery systems have failed to keep pace.

“They are right to ask why our capital still struggles with basic urban order. They are right to ask why growth has not been matched by planning. They are right to ask why this city, with all its importance, has so long looked and functioned below its status. They are right to demand better.

“From fewer than 300,000 people in 1960, Nairobi has grown into a city of close to 5 million residents, swelling even further during the day, but this growth has not been matched by the infrastructure, the systems, planning discipline, and service delivery that a modern metropolis requires.”

One of the most pressing issues identified was the prevalence of substandard living conditions, with the President revealing that more than 60% of Nairobi’s residents currently live in informal settlements.

“More than 60% of residents live in this city of ours in informal settlements,” Ruto noted.