Sakaja regrets garbage dumping as two senior officials interdicted

Two senior county officers have been interdicted over an illegal garbage dumping incident outside Stima Plaza.

Appearing before the Committee on Administration and Internal Security at County Hall, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja condemned the garbage dumping act, stating that it violates the county’s policies and values.

However, he stated that all other actions taken against the power supply company by City Hall were within the law.

Sakaja clarified that he did not sanction the dumping of waste. He described the act as uncouth and primitive, apologising to Kenyans and assuring them that it would not happen again.

The Governor informed the committee, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, that two senior county officers had been interdicted pending the conclusion of investigations, with further disciplinary action to be taken against any other officials found culpable.

“I would like to inform Parliament that as we speak, Dr John Ntoiti the acting Revenue Director who directed dumping of garbage and Sankale Lempaka the acting Director Debt Collection Unit who was in charge of operation on that day have been interdicted,” said Sakaja. 

The Governor told the committee that KPLC owed Nairobi County Sh4.9 billion, while the county owed KPLC Sh1.5 billion. He noted that the power supplier had taken the matter to court, but the case was dismissed, effectively maintaining the status quo.

Following discussions with KPLC management, it was agreed that the company would pay Sh60 million monthly. Sakaja stated that he personally visited Stima Plaza last December and informed KPLC CEO Joseph Siror that electricity could not be switched off while KPLC itself owed the county billions. He emphasised that a significant portion of the payment was for street lighting, which could not be cut off due to security concerns.

 “I approached KPLC when I assumed office, requesting verification of the electricity debt. Initially, they claimed Sh3 billion, but after a joint audit, the figure was revised down to Sh1.5 billion, as we discovered that some meters we had been paying for did not belong to the county,” said Sakaja.

The Governor explained that after discussions with KPLC, a payment plan was agreed upon. During this process, he established that during the tenure of the Nairobi Metropolitan Service, Sh700 million had been paid to KPLC, reducing the debt to S 800 million.

Sakaja said the county had issued a demand notice for Sh4.9 billion in outstanding charges dating back to 2002, but KPLC had failed to respond. He cited similar cases in Mombasa, Migori, Homa Bay, Kilifi, and Kisumu, where KPLC had also disconnected power.

“We denied them water and sanitation services, which is within the law for not paying the debt of wayleaves and land rates which had not been paid. If an apartment owner fails to pay rates the county may takeover and collect rent to help clear the debt,” said Sakaja. 

He informed the committee that City Hall had clamped down on KPLC’s headquarters and withheld services to prompt a response. However, on Monday last week, some county officials took matters into their own hands and dumped waste at the premises, an act Sakaja described as unfortunate.

The Governor said he later met with Head of Public Service Felix Kosgey and Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, where it was agreed that the county should engage the ministry on a structured payment plan for KPLC’s debt rather than resorting to drastic actions.

“KPLC should respect other institutions and stop the level of impunity with their quick action to cut off counties whenever there are electricity bills while national government entities owing hundreds of millions of shillings to KPLC are not cut off from electricity supply,” said Sakaja. 

Inspector General of the National Police Service, Douglas Kanja, confirmed that criminal investigations were launched immediately after the incident.

 “I was in Nigeria at the time, but we initiated investigations immediately after the illegal dumping was reported,” Kanja told the committee said.

Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin confirmed that KPLC officials reported the matter at Parklands Police Station after the incident near Stima Plaza.

Meanwhile  Amin, has urged the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) to reconsider its approach to handling unpaid electricity bills from government institutions, warning that indiscriminate power disconnections could have dire consequences.

He emphasised the need for dialogue rather than abrupt power cuts, noting that some of the affected institutions provide essential services to Kenyans.

 “KPLC should reconsider switching off power to government institutions. They once disconnected us—a move we considered ill-advised and totally unnecessary,” said the DCI.

 Amin further highlighted the critical nature of some of the facilities affected by the disconnections. “Hospitals and other essential institutions must not be put at risk due to outstanding bills when dialogue can be employed to find amicable solutions.”