Duale: Sakaja showed poor leadership in handling Stima Plaza garbage issue
Environment Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale has reprimanded Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for his handling of the ongoing dispute between the Nairobi County government and Kenya Power (KPLC) over unpaid electricity bills.
Appearing on a local TV station on Thursday, February 27, 2025, Duale condemned the governor’s leadership, saying the situation was poorly managed and should not have escalated to such extreme levels. He emphasized that using environmental tactics to settle disputes was inappropriate and called out law enforcement for failing to act decisively.
Duale also stated that the biggest failure in the two-day standoff was the police, who should have enforced the law by towing county garbage trucks and restoring order. He accused Governor Sakaja of demonstrating weak leadership in the conflict between the county government and KPLC. He also highlighted the disruption caused to businesses and neighborhoods, saying that while the Ministry of Environment was responsible for enforcement, he directed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to intervene and restore normalcy.
“That was the lowest moment in terms of the leadership of Nairobi. You can’t use the environment to sort out your issues. I think the failure during the two days was the police. They could have towed those trucks and enforced the law; it is the mandate of the police. Sakaja showed poor leadership in the KPLC-City Hall standoff. Police also failed to enforce law and order,” Duale said.
Adding;
“I spoke to the governor, and he showed poor leadership. It was not only KPLC; there were restaurants there [and] neighbourhoods. But our part was enforcement as a regulator, and I directed NEMA, and they did restoration.”
Nairobi County vs KPLC
The dispute reached a boiling point on Monday, February 24, 2025, when county workers dumped piles of garbage outside Kenya Power’s headquarters, Stima Plaza. This action was in retaliation for KPLC’s disconnecting electricity to Nairobi County offices over an outstanding bill of approximately Ksh3 billion. Alongside the dumping, county officers clamped vehicles parked around the building, severely disrupting operations at the power company. Employees and customers were unable to access the building due to the obstruction and the unbearable stench from the waste.
Kenya Power’s General Manager for Commercial Services and Sales, Engineer Rosemary Oduor, expressed disappointment over the county’s actions. She confirmed that garbage trucks had been parked outside their offices, and some waste was even dumped in their banking hall. Oduor said that while Kenya Power had been in a long-standing financial dispute with the county, she did not expect such an extreme response.
Nairobi County Secretary Godfrey Akumali, however, defended the county’s position, arguing that KPLC owed them Ksh4.8 billion in wayleave fees. He stated that despite the power company making profits and publicly announcing them, it had failed to settle its debts to the county government.
“Let it be very clear; KPLC owes us Ksh4.8 billion. They are making profits and announcing them publicly, yet they can’t pay their dues,” he remarked.
Following the incident, Governor Sakaja expressed regret over the garbage dumping, calling it an unfortunate mishap. He clarified that the county did not intend to block access to Stima Plaza and took immediate steps to have the garbage cleared within 30 minutes. He also ordered the removal of garbage trucks from the premises and directed the restoration of water supply to Stima Plaza, which had been cut off as part of the county’s actions.
“It was unfortunate that one of the trucks tipped and dumped the garbage. That was not our intention, and that is why in less than 30 minutes, that garbage was collected. That is not how Nairobi County operates, and the whole action will be dealt with internally,” Sakaja noted.
