Another NMS? Inside the Ksh.80 billion Sakaja-Ruto deal

On February 17, 2026, a cooperation framework between Nairobi City County Government and the National Government was signed at State House, Nairobi. President William Ruto witnessed the appending of signatures by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. This deal means the National Government will inject Ksh.80 billion into the city, four times what the county received in the current financial year. But for many Kenyans, the agreement between President Ruto and Governor Sakaja immediately triggers memories of the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services.