Safina Party Secretary General Joakim Simiyu has issued a scathing critique, stating that Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s transfer of key county functions to the national government has severely reduced his 2027 re-election prospects.

The fundamental tenets of devolution are facing unprecedented stress tests in Kenya's capital. Relinquishing constitutional county powers to the national executive is being interpreted as a profound admission of administrative failure.

During a highly publicized interview, political analyst Joakim Simiyu aggressively tore into Governor Johnson Sakaja's recent strategic alignment with President William Ruto's administration. By actively surrendering crucial municipal responsibilities, Sakaja has allegedly dimmed what Simiyu described as an "already dimmed star." The Nairobi electorate, fiercely protective of the autonomy granted by the 2010 Constitution, views these major concessions as a deep betrayal of the mandate they overwhelmingly entrusted to the governor in 2022.

A Regulatory Tightrope in Devolution

The tension between national government overreach and county autonomy is the defining political friction of modern Kenya. Nairobi, acting as the economic engine of East Africa, generates the absolute lion's share of the nation's GDP. Controlling its infrastructure, health, and transport sectors involves managing budgets worth hundreds of billions of Kenyan Shillings. When a governor willingly transfers these incredibly lucrative and impactful dockets back to the central government, it effectively nullifies the purpose of the devolved unit.

Critics fiercely argue that this cooperation deal is a glaring vote of low confidence in Sakaja's personal leadership capacity. Instead of rolling up his sleeves to fix systemic municipal rot, the governor has opted for the easiest political escape route. This maneuver provides the ruling national party with unchecked access to city resources while stripping local voters of direct accountability mechanisms. For the millions of residents navigating Nairobi's chaotic traffic and struggling healthcare centers, the shift in control offers little immediate solace.

• Transferring county functions is widely viewed as an admission of administrative incompetence.
• Nairobi County controls a multi-billion shilling budget critical to the East African economy.
• The 2027 gubernatorial race will heavily penalize leaders who compromised devolution principles.

The East African Urban Dilemma

The governance of mega-cities like Nairobi sets a critical precedent for urban management across the entire East African region. Kampala, Dar es Salaam, and Kigali closely observe Nairobi's administrative frameworks. If the absolute wealthiest county in Kenya cannot sustain its own operations without relying entirely on the President's intervention, the entire concept of decentralized urban governance is called into question. It signals to regional investors that municipal institutions are fundamentally fragile.

Electorally, Sakaja's gamble is exceptionally risky. The city's highly informed voter base is unlikely to reward a leader who outsourced his core job description. As formidable challengers begin laying the groundwork for the upcoming elections, Sakaja's record will be judged not by what he accomplished, but by what he surrendered. Safina Party operatives and the broader opposition are already weaponizing this perceived weakness to mobilize grassroots discontent across the city's diverse wards.

"Sakaja has definitively shown Kenyans that he is entirely unable to deliver on the profound responsibilities entrusted to him by Nairobi residents," Joakim Simiyu declared bluntly.