Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has called for reconsideration for proposals to permanently transfer a number of functions from the Nairobi County government to the national government.
According to the Senator, failures by the past regimes should not warrant weakening the fundamental principles of devolution in Nairobi.
Senator Sakaja led a delegation from the county government in preparing proposals to the BBI team. In their presentation, the leaders sought the establishment of a special relationship between the county and national government.
"What the proposals now allude is that all these functions will be permanently transferred. The transfer of functions in the constitution is not a permanent feature.
"Because of the failures of both regimes that have been there since the advent of devolution, what they are doing is denying the people of Nairobi the same right to devolution as the rest of the counties," stated Sakaja.
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He said the proposals in the BBI on Nairobi risk weakening the county government and should be reconsidered.
"It is either we retain proper devolution, not 46 counties and one semi-county called Nairobi, or do away with it completely and say Nairobi will be fully under the national government," stated Sakaja.
He went further to caution that if adopted, the county will continue to witness confrontation and conflict as has been the case with Governor Mike Sonko and the NMS boss.
"Nairobians have the right to devolution like any other citizen. Giving and taking away from one hand and solidifying a transfer of functions in the constitution probably is not the best idea. We need to review that to completely do away with it," stated Sakaja.
His remarks come at a time MCAs at the Nairobi County Assembly have endorsed the BBI report. He has called on leaders to shelve their political affiliations and think about Nairobi.
