Nairobi’s leadership is under fire after the 2025/2026 Annual Development Plan revealed the County Government is spending Ksh235 million on a lavish new official residence for Governor Johnson Sakaja. The home, to be built in Lady Northey, Kilimani Ward, includes a luxurious main house, servants’ quarters, a high-security perimeter wall, a custom gate, and full landscaping. While the county insists this is a strategic investment, residents and civil society are questioning the timing and necessity. In a city still battling potholes, joblessness, and poor sanitation, is this really the priority? The construction of Sakaja’s official residence sends a troubling message to Nairobi’s residents. While the county continues to face major challenges—from overflowing clinics to collapsing infrastructure—leaders are prioritizing high-end comfort over public service. [Photo: Courtesy] Sakaja’s Official Residence Gets Ksh235 Million While Nairobi Residents Struggle The 2025/2026 Annual Development Plan shows that the construction of Sakaja’s official residence will begin in the third quarter of the fiscal year. The plan outlines that the project will be completed in a single phase and evaluated through an award letter and completion certificate.
The residence, set for Lady Northey in the high-end Kilimani Ward, is a complete relocation from the governor’s former house in Lavington. The new site will feature a sprawling compound, multiple support buildings, and significant security and aesthetic upgrades.
According to the plan, the entire funding will come from the Nairobi City County Government’s internal budget. This alone raises questions about priorities, especially as Nairobi’s informal settlements continue to suffer from poor roads, limited healthcare, and chronic flooding.
County officials claim the project is essential to enhance the dignity of the governor’s office. Yet, critics argue it reflects a widening disconnect between elected leaders and the electorate. Sakaja Once Rejected a Bigger Budget But Has Now Approved It This is not the first time money has been allocated for an official residence for the governor. Back in 2022, a staggering Ksh500 million had been set aside for the construction of homes for both the governor and deputy governor. Sakaja publicly rejected that budget.
“I have just seen a budget that is allocating Ksh500 million for the construction of governors’ and deputy governors’ houses. I have asked them to reallocate the money to other priority projects like the construction of markets and creating jobs for our young people,” he said in October 2022.
That rejection won him praise at the time. Many believed he was a different kind of leader. But in 2024, the same plan quietly returned, with a reduced figure of Ksh290 million. It passed without much resistance.
Now, the budget has dropped again to Ksh235 million, and it’s moving forward. The shift has left many Nairobians wondering: what changed between 2022 and 2025?
Attempts to renovate the previous residence in Lavington were abandoned after legal battles. Instead of reviving that renovation plan, the county has opted for a new house in a more elite neighborhood—Lady Northey, Kilimani. What began as a hopeful administration that once redirected wasteful spending is now at the center of a growing controversy. The Ksh235 million price tag is more than a number; it’s a symbol of misplaced priorities in a city that cannot afford them. [Photo: Courtesy] County Defends Millions for Buildings While Basic Services Crumble Alongside Sakaja’s residence, Nairobi County plans to spend Ksh100 million on renovations to City Hall. These include tiling, painting, rebranding, new doors, electrical work and plumbing.
Another Ksh20 million will go toward reroofing the audit wing. Ksh25 million is reserved for replacing aluminium gutters. A further Ksh50 million is allocated for building an off-site archives facility.
In total, these construction projects will cost the county over Ksh400 million in one financial year. And yet, walk just a few meters from City Hall, and you’ll see roads full of potholes, open sewers, and piles of uncollected garbage.
Residents are demanding accountability. "We don’t need flowers around Sakaja’s house. We need working drainage, working hospitals and working schools," said Millicent Achieng, a community activist from Kibera.
Others question how a governor can approve such an expensive personal project while the city’s most basic needs remain unmet.
The county maintains that all the developments will improve service delivery and long-term functionality. But Nairobians, especially those living in informal settlements, say they’ve heard that before.