Nairobi County, Kenya Power resolve dispute, services to be restored

The Nairobi County government and Kenya Power have agreed to end their standoff, paving the way for the restoration of all disrupted services.

The truce follows high-level talks involving Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, and Kenya Power officials among others.

Addressing the media on Wednesday at City Hall, Sakaja said that all services which had been cut off due to the feud will be restored.

“We've resolved that all hostilities end and issues will be sorted out amicably. We have now given instructions to restore water supply to their premises and to remove the garbage that had been blocking access,” he said.

Moving forward, Sakaja also revealed that City Hall's commercial disputes, including the ongoing one with Kenya Power, will be resolved directly with the Cabinet Secretary for Energy.

"We agreed that commercial disputes will be resolved between myself and Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi. The Inter-governmental technical committee will also come in to resolve," he said.

At the same time, Sakaja regretted how the county handled the matter, particularly the actions of the enforcement officers who saw county trucks offload garbage the Kenya Powerr premises and temporarily cut off the water supply.

“ It was, of course, unfortunate that one of the trucks tipped garbage. That was not the intention,” he said.

Justifying why county services were interrupted at Kenya Power offices, Governor Sakaja said that the law allows for the withdrawal of services.

“In the same way Kenya Power disconnects electricity over unpaid bills, counties have enforcement mechanisms under the National Rating Act 2024, which allow for actions such as removal of county services and restricting access to premises,” he said.

The governor explained that the dispute had been ongoing for years, with both parties making financial claims against each other.

As a result, a year-long joint verification exercise revealed discrepancies, leading to a revised amount and a structured payment plan.

“Initially, the claim was at Sh3 billion when I took a joint verification exercise over a whole year where we looked at meters and accounts, we found some of those meters and accounts not being within the purview of Nairobi County,” Sakaja said

The conflict began when Kenya Power disconnected electricity to several Nairobi County offices on February 14, 2025, over an unpaid bill of Sh3 billion.

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In retaliation, the county government took drastic measures, including dumping garbage outside KPLC headquarters, blocking sewer lines, and cutting off water supply to its buildings.

The standoff escalated, prompting the National Assembly Energy Committee to demand a resolution.

During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Nyatike MP Tom Odege raised concerns about the impact of the dispute on Kenya Power employees and public services.

The Energy CS, however, assured the committee that he had engaged Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to prevent further escalation.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) also ordered Nairobi County to remove the garbage it dumped at KPLC headquarters, citing environmental violations.

“The county must remove these vehicles and garbage immediately. Waste disposal should not be used as a weapon in disputes,” said NEMA’s Environmental Education Director Ayub Macharia.

In an attempt to resolve the dispute, the Nairobi County Assembly has proposed a debt swap, suggesting that Kenya Power offset its Sh4.8 billion wayleave fees against the Sh1.5 billion electricity bill owed by City Hall.