Nairobi Sets 5% Signature Rule for County Referendums on Local Issues

Nairobi County Assembly passed legislation last month that creates formal procedures for citizen-initiated ballot measures on county matters. The rules apply to the county's 4.4 million residents and cover decisions such as allocations for bus termini upgrades or waste collection contracts in the 85 wards.

County officials completed the framework after the 2025 Annual Development Plan showed public participation in budget hearings remained below 12 percent in most sub-counties. The legislation states that verified petitions can trigger a vote either at the next general election or through a special county ballot organised by the electoral board.

Signature Rules and Daily Service Examples

Petitioners must obtain signatures equal to 5 percent of registered voters in the affected ward. In Starehe ward this equals about 8,000 names, while in larger sub-counties such as Embakasi it rises to 22,000. A successful petition could place questions on charges at Gikomba market or funding for drainage works along Jogoo Road before voters. The same threshold does not exist in Mombasa County, where the 2023 public participation law sets the bar at 10 percent, and Kisumu County currently offers no citizen petition route at all.

Policy analysts say the Nairobi process limits measures to county functions listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, which includes roads, markets, health clinics and solid waste. Proposals on national issues such as policing or currency remain outside the scope.

Budget Allocation and Timeline

The County Treasury 2026 fiscal plan records 150 million Kenyan shillings set aside for referendum administration, drawn from the overall county budget of 42 billion Kenyan shillings. The funds cover signature verification, ballot printing and voter information across all wards. The government says the policy will allow residents to decide on specific service levels that affect household costs, such as parking fees near city centre offices or maintenance schedules at county health facilities.

The county electoral board must complete verification within 60 days of any petition filing. The first measures that meet the threshold are expected to appear on ballots during the 2027 county elections. Residents file initial notices with the county assembly clerk at City Hall, after which the 30-day signature collection period begins.