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Babu Owino: National govt’s takeover of Nairobi County is greatest attack on devolution

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Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has launched a fierce attack on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and President William Ruto over a new cooperation agreement between Nairobi County and the national government.

The deal, signed on February 17, 2026 at State House, has sparked a political storm. Babu claims it amounts to a hostile takeover of key county functions and weakens devolution.

Speaking to the press on February 18, Owino said the process was unlawful and ignored the public.

“Yesterday we did see the signing and the transfer, which we describe as hostile, of certain key functions of the County Government to the National Government. This process was illegally done in the first place and we are being informed that public participation is supposed to be done after the signing of this agreement. This is completely unconstitutional and unlawful,” he said.

Owino accused Sakaja of handing over responsibilities that Nairobi residents entrusted to him. He said voters expected better roads, working drainage, clean streets, reliable water, jobs and functional health facilities.

“Nairobians trusted the wrong person, gave power, gave responsibility to a person who was not qualified for the job, that is Governor Sakaja. He’s become a disappointment,” Owino said.

“The governor is a born incompetent governor, a Governor who cannot deliver services to the citizens of Nairobi.”

He pointed to problems in the health sector. Owino described Mama Lucy Hospital as a death trap, claiming it lacks drugs and that mothers face poor treatment. He also mentioned Mbagathi Hospital, where he said a body remained detained for more than two months despite the family’s efforts to clear bills.

He recalled a past court ruling by Justice Majanja that a dead body has no economic value. Babu argued that such cases show failure in leadership, even as the governor insists that Nairobi is working.

The MP dismissed the new arrangement as a partnership between two weak administrations.

“An incompetent body taking over another incompetent body in the name of delivering, what a shame. This is a race of two pygmies competing on who is taller than the other,” he said.

Corruption fears, deal defended

Owino also raised concerns about corruption. He questioned how Nairobi’s own-source revenue is managed and claimed the governor only has “view only” access to collection servers. He promised to release a dossier to support his claims.

“Transfer of a function like roads, transfer of functions like water, street lighting and garbage collection, this is just going to be new corruption,” he warned.

However, both President Ruto and Governor Sakaja have defended the agreement.

During the signing ceremony, Ruto rejected claims that the national government had taken over county functions.

“Let me repeat, there is no transfer of functions happening. For the avoidance of doubt, I have no interest in running the city of Nairobi. My hands are full. The governor and his team must run the city of Nairobi,” he said.

The President described the agreement as structured national support for the capital, arguing that Nairobi’s status affects the whole country.

Sakaja said the deal rests on Section 6 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act. He noted that Nairobi hosts diplomatic missions, serves as a regional business hub and is home to the UN headquarters in the global south. He argued that the county’s equitable share and own-source revenue cannot meet the needs of a city with nearly seven million people.

Under the agreement, the two levels of government will work through a two-tier structure. A steering committee chaired by the Prime Cabinet Secretary, with Sakaja as deputy, will handle policy direction. An implementation committee chaired by the governor will oversee daily operations.

The agreement covers water and sewerage, roads, bridges and drainage, housing, street lighting, solid waste management and the regeneration of the Nairobi River. Reports indicate that the national government will commit around Ksh80 billion.

The funds will support completion of stalled street lighting projects, installation of new lights, road works and electricity connections in informal settlements. Sakaja insisted the arrangement differs from the former Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS). He said NMS left Ksh16 billion in pending bills and weakened devolution.

“This is not a transfer but a collaboration which is encouraged,” he said.

Critics remain unconvinced. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna earlier warned against any unconstitutional clawback of devolution and called for full public involvement. Owino echoed those concerns and urged Nairobi residents to make different choices in future elections.

“This time round, Nairobi will not rezon with dimples. Rezoning will be with brains. It will be brains versus dimples,” he said, referring to Sakaja’s campaign nickname-PeopleDaily.digital

 

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National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

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The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

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Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

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ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

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The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

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