Embattled Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has come out to firmly refute claims that he has transferred key county functions to the national government.

Speaking during an interview on a local TV station aired on Saturday, February 14, 2026, the Nairobi governor dismissed the claims, maintaining that he has not ceded any function to the national government.

Instead, Sakaja argued that if there has been any shift at all, it is from the national government to the county government, not the other way round.

He cited the school feeding programme popularly known as Dishi na County as an example, noting that it was initially a national government function before being handled by the county administration.

“We have not ceded any function; transfer of function is provided under the constitution, Article 187. If anything, the only transfer of power that has happened is from the national govt to the county, when we did an intergovernmental agreement on school feeding.”

Safeguarding Nairobi

Sakaja emphasised that he swore to protect the interests of Nairobi residents when he was sworn in as governor and insisted that the transfer of county functions will not happen under his watch. He stated that the only way such an arrangement could take place would be through a referendum.

“As I said in the state of the county address, transfer of functions is not something that we are going to do. I swore fidelity to the constitution and to the mandate given to me by Nairobians. The only way to cede such powers would be through a referendum,” he made it clear.

The first-term governor further clarified that the conversation he has been championing revolves around partnership, not transfer of power. According to him, there are key functions that may be too large or complex for counties to handle alone, but collaboration between the two levels of government would ease service delivery.

“I am the one who initiated talks on the partnership between the national govt and the county govt, calling for special funding of city counties during the gubernatorial debate.”

He added that regardless of the governance model adopted for the city, failure to address financing challenges would still leave Nairobi struggling.

Legality of the transfer

On whether there exists any legal document proving that there was no transfer of power, Sakaja explained that any formal transfer would require a signed agreement between the President and the Governor, which would then be approved by both the County Assembly and the National Assembly. He stressed that no such document exists.

The governor further noted that the president has publicly stated that he has no intention of interfering with the management of the capital city.

Sakaja claimed that those pushing the narrative of a transfer of functions are individuals eyeing the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in 2027.

His remarks come days after reports circulated that the county had ceded three key functions – garbage collection and disposal, water and sanitation, and road construction – to the national government.