Ruto Steps In Again to Save Sakaja in Power as Nairobi Leadership Faces a Major Challenge

President William Ruto has moved to calm Nairobi residents and the political establishment after weeks of mounting anger over the capital’s worsening garbage crisis, assuring the public that the national government is now working closely with the Nairobi City County administration to restore order and cleanliness.

His intervention comes at a time when Governor Johnson Sakaja’s leadership is under intense scrutiny, with the piles of uncollected waste becoming a powerful symbol of administrative failure in the country’s most important city.

Speaking against the backdrop of growing public outrage, President Ruto emphasized that the garbage menace is not just a county problem but a national concern.

Nairobi is Kenya’s economic heartbeat, hosting government offices, multinational companies, and millions of workers.

When the city is choking in waste, the entire country feels the consequences through health risks, lost productivity, and reputational damage.

By stepping in, Ruto signaled that the crisis has crossed from routine county management into a matter of national stability and public welfare.

At the center of the storm is Governor Sakaja, whose administration has struggled to enforce waste collection contracts, regulate private garbage firms, and control illegal dumping.

In that context, Ruto’s assurance of cooperation between the two levels of government is widely seen as a lifeline to the embattled governor, allowing him breathing space to reorganize and implement reforms without the added weight of national hostility.

The president urged Nairobi residents to remain calm and avoid politicizing the issue, arguing that disorder and public anger would only worsen an already delicate situation. His call reflects a broader strategy: stabilize public confidence first, then fix the problem.

Behind the scenes, the national government has capacity that the county lacks, including access to specialized equipment, enforcement agencies, and financial leverage that can be used to compel compliance from waste contractors.

A coordinated approach also aligns with Kenya’s devolved system, which allows the national government to intervene when county governments face challenges that threaten public safety or economic stability.

In practical terms, this could mean joint task forces, emergency clean-up operations, and stricter regulation of landfill management, particularly at the troubled Dandora dumpsite, which has long been overwhelmed.