Ruto Set to Make Historic Address at Nairobi County Assembly After Sakaja Cooperation Deal

President William Ruto is expected to make history in April when he addresses the Nairobi City County Assembly at City Hall, becoming the first sitting Kenyan Head of State to speak before a County Assembly since the start of devolution.

The planned address is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, at 2:30 pm inside the Assembly Chambers, following a formal invitation by Members of County Assembly (MCAs).

The visit comes against the backdrop of the recently approved cooperation pact between the National Government and Nairobi County, a deal that has continued to generate intense public debate.

According to communication from Chief of Staff Felix Koskei, the President’s appearance has already been officially placed in the State calendar. In the letter sent to Speaker Ken Ng’ondi, the County Assembly was asked to prepare a detailed brief highlighting the major issues, priorities, and concerns they would like the President to address during the session.

This means MCAs now have an opportunity to present Nairobi’s pressing matters directly to the Head of State in a setting that many political observers are already describing as unprecedented in Kenya’s devolved governance system.

The President’s address will take place just two days after the Assembly resumes its sittings from the Easter recess, making it one of the first major political events on the county’s legislative calendar. Since devolution was introduced 16 years ago, none of Kenya’s 47 county assemblies has ever hosted a sitting or former President for an official address.

This makes the upcoming City Hall event a landmark political moment that is expected to spark national conversation on the relationship between county governments and the national administration.

The planned speech also comes nearly two months after President Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja signed the much-discussed cooperation framework aimed at transforming service delivery in the capital.

The agreement, which was later unanimously approved by Nairobi MCAs, commits about Ksh80 billion towards major urban development projects including roads, water supply, drainage, street lighting, housing, and waste management.

Supporters of the pact say it is a practical solution to Nairobi’s long-standing infrastructure and service delivery problems, while critics argue it risks weakening devolution by allowing the national government to take excessive control over county functions.

The cooperation deal has continued to attract mixed reactions from Nairobi residents, legal experts, and political leaders. Some critics have claimed that the arrangement is a disguised attempt to shift the running of the capital back to State House, reviving memories of the former Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

However, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has strongly defended the framework, saying it is a legally structured partnership meant to eliminate duplication, improve planning, and ensure the two levels of government work in harmony for the benefit of city residents.

Mudavadi has maintained that the agreement does not transfer county powers but instead creates a coordinated implementation structure that allows both governments to jointly tackle Nairobi’s urban challenges more efficiently.

Under the framework, projects are expected to be rolled out in a synchronized way, reducing delays that have in the past affected roads, sanitation, drainage, and housing upgrades across the city.

With Nairobi being Kenya’s capital and economic hub, President Ruto’s upcoming appearance at City Hall is likely to be closely watched not only by Nairobi leaders but by governors, senators, and county assemblies across the country.

Many will be waiting to hear whether his speech will reassure concerns over devolution, clarify the future of the Ksh80 billion programme, and outline how the national-county partnership will directly improve the lives of Nairobi residents.

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