Nairobi’s Blooms at the Cost of Its Workers: Sakaja’s Beautification Drive Under Scrutiny
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has poured resources into beautification initiatives from rebranding the city with fresh walkways and flowerbeds to reviving the “Green Army” of sanitation youth. Yet beneath the veneer of progress, workers many tasked with cleaning the very streets now being polished remain trapped in contract limbo, unpaid, overworked, and overlooked. As tensions simmer and calls for action rise, unionized staff and frontline cleaners accuse the administration of deception and broken promises even while construction sites for stalled hospitals and unpaid security staff fall further behind. This report unpacks the stark disconnect between Nairobi’s aesthetic facelift and the dignity owed to its keepers.
“The Green Army Stuck in Limbo”
Deployed to help clean Nairobi’s CBD, reclaim rivers, and tackle trash, the Green Army has long been portrayed as a hallmark of youthful urban renewal. But the reality is different.
Union leaders claim that for nearly two years, members remained on unstable, short-term contracts with minimal benefits no health cover, no job security despite promises of permanence. As of mid-2025, these workers issued a seven-day strike ultimatum. Their grievances include seven months of delayed salaries and missing payroll documentation required for PF contributions .
In response, Governor Sakaja announced in July 2025 that 2,452 of the Green Army would finally be made permanent and pensionable, framed as a recognition of their “dignified” service . But many argue this came too late only after mounting public and legal pressure.
“City Hall Workers Hit the Brakes”
In late May 2025, Nairobi County employees staged a strike at City Hall. Union leaders, including Festus Ngari, demanded implementation of a long-pending CBA to resolve systemic issues: delayed salaries, stagnant promotions, unpaid NHIF contributions, and unsafe working conditions .
For workers responsible for administrative support, security, and public services, the glow of freshly painted buildings couldn’t hide the growing frustration over broken promises and invisible labor.
“Broken Hospitals, Frustrated Leaders”
While beautification has captured the headlines, the city’s health infrastructure is being sidelined. MCAs have called out Sh1.36 billion worth of stalled hospital projects, including dispensaries in Pumwani and Gumba, with contractors paid some fees but vendors unpaid—exposing mismatched budget priorities.
These gaps mirror broader public concerns around sewers, drainage, and waste areas that plague residents and undermine not just aesthetics but basic quality of life .
“Cleanup or Cover-Up? Public Sentiment Speaks”
The gap between optics and experience is clear. Residents report the city is “filthy,” tipping over with garbage and poor drainage prompting rage and resignation . Others criticize empty gestures like insisting on property repainting while critical municipal services falter.
This sentiment of a city polishing appearances while silencing those who clean, teach, and care for Nairobi fuels a growing distrust in leadership.
Response from the Administration
Governor Sakaja has responded with populist framing: emphasizing Nairobi’s transformation into a “clean, green, and dignified” city. Yet, there are no formal statements addressing the strike threats, union demands, or stalled projects. Reparative measures seem reactive rather than strategic.
Nairobi’s beautification drive, intended (in its ideal form) to raise morale and public spaces, now appears misguided as if glossing over deeper dysfunction. The question is not just whether the city looks cleaner, but whether the people who make it function are treated with dignity.
A city cannot be truly clean if the hands that clean are starving. It cannot thrive when its nurses, clerks, and sanitation staff work in fear and unpaid arrears.
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