Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja came under sharp scrutiny on Monday as senators demanded answers over a ballooning Sh11 billion debt and water losses crippling the capital’s supply system.
Appearing before the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, Sakaja was grilled over audit reports revealing that 51% of the water produced in Nairobi worth Sh8.6 billion vanishes before reaching consumers.
Senator Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga), who chairs the committee, called the figures “shocking” and demanded accountability.
“How do we explain to Nairobians that half the water they pay for disappears?” Osotsi asked.
Governor Sakaja attributed the losses to Nairobi’s aged infrastructure, noting that his administration had ring-fenced Sh9.2 billion in the 2024/25 budget for pipeline rehabilitation, leak detection, and meter sealing.
He also pointed to ongoing AFD and FD-funded projects as part of a broader overhaul.
But Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna wasn’t convinced. He pressed Sakaja on the Sh11 billion in outstanding receivables, some unpaid for over 480 days.
“Demand letters won’t cut it. Where is the aggressive debt recovery plan?” Sifuna asked.
Sakaja said two new revenue regions and a GIS-based billing system launched in February were already bearing fruit, with legal teams now handling high-value debtors.
Staff costs also raised eyebrows, with Senator Eddy Oketch revealing salaries consume 65% of revenue; well above the allowed 35%.
Sakaja defended the ratio, citing inherited inefficiencies, but said measures including a hiring freeze and a proposed cost-recovery tariff could lower the wage burden to 45% within a year.
