Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja calls it "shared responsibility." His critics call it NMS 2.0. But for the average Nairobian, it will simply be known as the month their water bill spiked.

In a landmark deal struck at State House this week, the Nairobi County Government has agreed to partner with the National Government to overhaul the city’s collapsing waste management system. The centerpiece of this deal is a new "Conservancy Fee" that will be tacked onto the monthly water bills of every household in the capital.

The Economics of Garbage

The logic is pragmatic: the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) has the most efficient billing system in the county. By bundling garbage fees with water, the state ensures high collection rates. The funds will be ring-fenced to repair garbage trucks, pay contractors, and finally clear the illegal dumpsites choking estates from Pipeline to Dandora.

"We will deal with the garbage menace," President Ruto promised, putting his personal political capital on the line.

However, the financial hit to residents comes at a time of soaring inflation. With water tariffs already adjusted upwards in 2025, an additional levy—rumored to be between KES 300 and KES 500 per household—could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for low-income families in Eastlands.

Shadows of the NMS

Politically, the deal is fraught with risk for Governor Sakaja. In 2020, Governor Mike Sonko signed away key functions to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), a move that eventually rendered him a lame-duck governor.

Sakaja has vehemently denied he is walking the same path. "No functions have been ceded," he tweeted, describing the arrangement as a "lawful collaboration" under the Urban Areas and Cities Act. But the optics of the President stepping in to "fix" the city suggest that City Hall is overwhelmed.

If the garbage piles disappear, Sakaja will be hailed as a pragmatist. If the bills go up and the dirt remains, he will be remembered as the Governor who charged residents for the privilege of living in filth.