In a landmark moment for Kenya’s devolution, President William Ruto on Thursday became the first sitting Head of State to address a county assembly, delivering a special address to the Nairobi City County Assembly at City Hall.
Marking 13 years since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, President Ruto used the platform to deliver a frank assessment of the capital’s challenges while unveiling an ambitious roadmap for its transformation.
He described Nairobi as “the seat of our sovereignty, the face of our nation, the engine of our economy, and the standard by which much of the world judges our nation.”
“When Nairobi works, Kenya works. When Nairobi fails, Kenya pays the price,” he declared, noting that the city contributes 27.5% of the national GDP and generates over KSh 4.1 trillion annually.
The President did not mince words about the capital’s deep-rooted problems. He spoke of a city “suffocated by disorder, delayed by indecision, undermined by poor planning, and held hostage by interests that profit from chaos.”
He highlighted congested roads, broken drainage systems, overstretched sewage infrastructure, recurrent flooding, garbage crises, and the lack of basic order that continues to frustrate residents, businesses, investors, and visitors alike.
Rapid urban growth from fewer than 300,000 residents at independence to nearly five million today has strained services and created opportunities for exploitation, he said.
In the most hard-hitting section of his speech, President Ruto declared open firm war on the cartels he said have profited from the city’s dysfunction.
“We must take the cartels in the city head-on whoever they are, however powerful they are,” he stated. “There are those who make money through institutional paralysis.
They shout the loudest against reform because they thrive on failure. The era of appeasing cartels at the expense of public interest must come to an end. Leadership is not about protecting a few people, but delivering justice and order.”
He drew parallels with his administration’s successful fight against fuel cartels and delays in the sugar sector, where farmers who once waited a year for payments are now paid promptly.
A major focus of the address was the Sh 80 billion cooperation agreement signed on February 17, 2026, between the national government and Nairobi County.
President Ruto stressed that this is not a return to the old Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) model of function transfer, but a genuine partnership for coordinated development.
“The document is not ceremonial. It is not public relations. It is not politics for headlines,” he told the MCAs. “What Nairobi needs is not a cycle of blame, speeches and complaints. It needs disciplined leadership, order, execution and results and that is exactly what we intend to deliver together.”
He outlined immediate deliverables under the pact, including: Installation of 50,000 new street lights, upgrading 40,000 existing ones, and adding 10,000 solar/smart units targeting 100,000 functional lighting points, with installations beginning this month.
Last-mile electricity connections in informal settlements such as Kibera, 93 housing programmes delivering over 180,000 units and market stalls as part of a broader urban reconstruction drive backed by a KSh 360 billion investment pipeline.
He touched on the completion of the Talanta Sports Centre and expansion of the Bomas International Complex ahead of the 2027 AFCON, Upgrades at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to strengthen Nairobi’s role as an aviation and diplomatic hub.
In his call to action, President Ruto urged Members of the County Assembly to rise above politics and focus on service delivery.
“You have a duty to ensure that the needs of your constituents are properly addressed,” he said, adding: “The era of drift must end and the era of coordinated execution must begin.”
He acknowledged public anger over the state of the city but framed the moment as one of hope and decisive action.
The Significant historic special address was attended by a full house of MCAs, Governor Johnson Sakaja, and senior national government officials.
Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi had earlier described the occasion as historic, likening the protocols to those of a State of the Nation Address.
President Ruto’s speech signals a new chapter in national-county relations, one anchored in results rather than rhetoric.
As Kenyans await implementation, the coming months will test whether the promised “era of execution” can finally deliver the orderly, functional capital that millions have long demanded.
