President William Ruto defended the cooperation agreement between the national government and Nairobi City County, framing it as a lawful and necessary partnership rather than a takeover of county functions.

The Head of State was speaking ahead of the highly anticipated address at the Nairobi County Assembly, which comes amid growing interest in the implementation of the Ksh80 billion deal.

Speaking on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at the Second Africa Urban Forum held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Ruto outlined the rationale behind the new partnership, emphasising that it marks a clear departure from the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) model.

“World of a difference between the partnership under NMS and the partnership we have today with the county government of Nairobi. Under the previous arrangement, it was a transfer of functions. We are not undertaking any transfer of functions,” Ruto said.

The President stressed that the new framework respects devolution and is anchored on collaboration rather than control.

“We are working in partnership with Nairobi County because Nairobi City County is also the capital, and the law outright states that the county needs to have a special arrangement with the national government,” he explained.

Ruto further justified the agreement by pointing to Nairobi’s unique status as the seat of government.

“Nairobi City County is also the seat of the Government of Kenya, and therefore, we have undertaken this agreement,” he added.

The pact

The Ksh80 billion pact, signed in February 2026, with Governor Johnson Sakaja, is expected to transform the capital through major infrastructure and service delivery projects.

Key areas targeted include drainage upgrades to curb perennial flooding, comprehensive waste management and recycling systems, enhanced street lighting in residential estates, recarpeting of roads, and the ongoing Nairobi River regeneration programme.

According to the State House, the President’s address at 2:30 pm will provide a comprehensive update on the progress of these initiatives, following an official invitation from Members of the County Assembly (MCAs).

Chief of Staff Felix Koskei confirmed the schedule in a letter to Assembly Speaker Ken Ngondi, noting that the event had been formally programmed.

Nairobi development crisis

The landmark address comes amid a broader national debate on Nairobi’s future, including controversial proposals to relocate Kenya’s capital.

 However, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi dismissed such suggestions, citing legal, financial, and practical challenges.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations, Mudavadi argued that Kenya’s land tenure system makes relocation nearly impossible.

“We cannot relocate the capital to another city,” he said, noting that, unlike countries such as Nigeria and Tanzania, Kenya’s urban land is largely privately owned.

“A lot of the land in urban areas belongs to Kenyan citizens. Even if you move beyond that, you would be looking at compromising people’s land to create a new city.”

He also highlighted the immense financial burden such a move would entail, including the cost of relocating critical infrastructure like the Standard Gauge Railway.

Instead, Mudavadi backed the Ruto-Sakaja cooperation framework as a practical solution to Nairobi’s persistent urban challenges.

“This agreement represents a deliberate and structured effort by both levels of government to strengthen collaboration in the delivery of critical services and infrastructure within the Capital City,” he told senators.