Nairobi County Budget 2026: Mid-Year Review Data

Nairobi County's mid-year budget review, released last week, tells a story that extends far beyond the headlines of political disputes and departmental reshuffles. The numbers reveal where the city's actual priorities lie—and where promises have faltered.

Of the Sh127 billion allocated for the 2026 financial year, only 42 percent had been spent by end of May, according to the Treasury Department's latest quarterly report. That figure sits below the expected 50-percent mark for this period, suggesting slower-than-planned project implementation across the city's 17 sub-counties. The variance is most pronounced in transport infrastructure: just Sh2.3 billion of the Sh8.7 billion earmarked for road rehabilitation has been disbursed, leaving critical routes like Jogoo Road, Outer Ring Road, and the Embakasi-Mombasa corridor still awaiting upgrades.

Water and sanitation represents another story told through figures. The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company reports that only 64 percent of the county's population has reliable access to piped water—down from 68 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, revenue collection has dropped 8 percent year-on-year, with water arrears now standing at Sh4.2 billion. In informal settlements like Mathare and Kibera, where an estimated 2.3 million residents live, access to formal water supply remains below 35 percent.

The education sector presents mixed results. County-funded Early Childhood Development centres across Nairobi serve approximately 187,000 children, but only 71 percent received the planned nutritional support in the first quarter due to budget delays. Secondary school bursaries distributed totalled Sh1.8 billion against a Sh2.4 billion target, leaving 9,200 eligible students without promised support.

Perhaps most telling are property tax collection figures. The City County has collected Sh18.9 billion in revenue from all sources against a Sh32.1 billion projection—a 59-percent collection rate that mirrors persistent challenges in the city's business district and residential zones. Property tax specifically yielded only Sh4.1 billion of an anticipated Sh6.8 billion, suggesting either widespread non-compliance or optimistic initial projections.

Health facilities paint a starker picture. Of 143 County health centres, only 87 percent have consistent electricity supply, and drug stock-outs affected 34 percent of facilities in May alone. Infant mortality in County-managed facilities sits at 38 per 1,000 live births—slightly above the national average.

These statistics matter because they move beyond rhetoric. They expose whether City Hall's priorities align with its spending, reveal where administrative bottlenecks persist, and show residents what 42 percent budget execution actually means for their daily lives across Westlands, Kasarani, and Dagoretti.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.