Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna\/FILE<\/p>\n
Nairobi Governor
\nJohnson Sakaja found himself on the receiving end of a scathing rebuke from
\nNairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna during a Senate committee hearing on Thursday, over claims that the public had been properly consulted on the
\ncity\u2019s proposed development agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cClause 6.2 provides
\nthat agreements, together with amendments, must be considered. What you are
\ncalling public participation is not empirical. People can mobilise crowds to
\nsay what they want. The law says there must be an agreement. Surely, Governor,
\nyou know what you are saying is not true,\u201d Sifuna thundered, leaning forward as
\nhe addressed Sakaja directly.<\/p>\n
The heated exchange
\nunfolded as the committee sought clarity on whether Sakaja had genuinely
\nengaged citizens before advancing the multi-billion-shilling agreement that
\naims to transform Nairobi\u2019s infrastructure and revenue systems.<\/p>\n
Sakaja, defending
\nhis approach, insisted that the county had followed proper procedure.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took the draft
\ndocument through public participation because people need a document to
\ndiscuss. If we did not have a draft, what would we have consulted on?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Sifuna was
\nunrelenting, emphasising the distinction between genuine citizen engagement and
\norchestrated events.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have done
\npublic participation many times, but it is on a vote, not empirical. Tomorrow,
\nif people reject what you propose, what are the consequences? You cannot claim
\nthat a few mobilised voices represent Nairobi,\u201d the Senator said.<\/p>\n
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja\/FILE<\/p>\n
The exchange drew
\nsharp attention to the legal and constitutional framework governing public
\nparticipation in county development projects.<\/p>\n
Sifuna reminded the
\ncommittee that public consultation is meant to be binding and representative,
\nnot a superficial formality.<\/p>\n
He cited previous
\nprojects, including the Woodley housing initiative, where proper consultation
\npreceded any groundbreaking, underscoring what he described as Sakaja\u2019s
\ninconsistent approach.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging the
\nconcerns, Sakaja admitted that public participation could be improved.<\/p>\n
\u201cSenator, you\u2019re
\nright. We can do it better. We\u2019ve heard the views of the public, and we will
\nreview them at different levels of government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The confrontation
\nhighlighted the growing scrutiny on Nairobi\u2019s governance and transparency,
\nespecially regarding high-value development projects that have signalled
\nheightened oversight by lawmakers determined to ensure that citizen voices are
\ngenuinely reflected in key decisions affecting the capital\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n
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