Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has denied directing county staff to dump garbage at Stima Plaza, calling it an error that was quickly corrected.
Sakaja clarified that his directive was solely to enforce measures against Kenya Power after the company cut off electricity at City Hall. The county responded by blocking access to Kenya Power’s offices at Stima Plaza, cutting off water supply, and sealing sewer lines.
However, according to Sakaja, some staff went beyond the directive and dumped garbage at the entrance.
“So on Friday we disconnected water and sewer services at Kenya Power offices and we deployed four vehicles to block the entrance at Stima Plaza. I reprimanded the county staff for dumping garbage at Stima Plaza entrance as they were strictly instructed to block it, not dumping,” Sakaja told Radio Jambo.
He added that he intervened to ensure the garbage was cleared immediately.
The governor emphasized that the county government has the legal authority to suspend services when clients fail to pay. He revealed that officials took action on Friday after Kenya Power ignored a 60-day demand notice over an outstanding debt.
RELATED – Kenya Power vs Nairobi County: Genesis of, and How Monday Garbage Dump Transpired
At the heart of the dispute is a financial standoff between the county and Kenya Power. Sakaja disclosed that the power company owes Nairobi County Ksh4.8 billion for using county wayleaves to run electricity and internet cables.
“They are supposed to pay us, and the court directed so,” he said.
On the other hand, he acknowledged that the county owes Kenya Power Ksh1.5 billion. To settle the debt, they had agreed on a repayment plan of Ksh100 million per month.
“We also agreed that they wouldn’t disconnect power in county offices since we experience delays in fund disbursement. But they went against the agreement and cut our electricity last week,” he added.
To find a lasting solution, Sakaja announced that a high-level meeting had been scheduled. The talks will involve Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Kenya Power officials, and county representatives led by the governor himself.
