Nairobi Road Repair Fund: 2.1B Shilling Approval

Nairobi City Council approved a 2.1 billion shilling allocation for pothole repairs and road maintenance across 47 wards on Wednesday, marking the largest single infrastructure budget passed in the council's fiscal year 2026-27 session. The vote followed a contentious two-hour debate over contractor selection, with the council deciding to split projects among five different firms rather than award all work to a single bidder. The decision directly affects an estimated 1.8 million Nairobi residents who rely on arterial roads for daily commutes, goods delivery and emergency services.

Nairobi's road network has deteriorated visibly over the past three years. The city's 4,200 kilometres of maintained roads include roughly 600 kilometres classified as "critically degraded" according to the city's own Infrastructure Asset Management Report tabled in council on Tuesday. Commuters on the Southern Bypass near Nyayo Stadium, James Gichuru Road in Westlands and Juja Road near Roysambu have reported journey times increasing by up to 40 minutes during peak hours. Small business operators, transporters and delivery services say road conditions are raising fuel costs and delaying goods movement into the city.

Street-level impact from council votes

The road fund targets 12 major routes and 35 secondary roads. The city estimates the allocation will resurface approximately 184 kilometres of tarmac and repair surface damage on an additional 96 kilometres. Work is expected to begin in August 2026, though the council does not have a formal completion date published. A second vote approved a trial programme extending waste collection from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in five constituencies, starting in September. Currently, the Nairobi City County Waste Management team collects refuse between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. across most residential areas. Extended hours will apply first to Westlands, Langata, Dagoretti South, Kasarani and Embakasi South wards. The council budgeted 156 million shillings for the six-month pilot.

For households and small businesses, the timing shift offers practical relief. Evening collections reduce daytime traffic congestion caused by waste trucks on narrow residential roads, particularly in informal settlements where vehicle access is already limited. Commercial operators in Nairobi's central business district told council members they lose an average of three hours per week to traffic caused by morning waste collection on busy routes. The extension also addresses a recurring complaint from residents that bins left in streets overnight attract rodents and create public health concerns.

Budget and next steps

The city's budget papers for 2026-27 allocate 18.4 billion shillings to infrastructure and service delivery across all departments. Roads and waste management together account for 2.3 billion of that total. Council finance documents show the city projected a revenue shortfall of 1.2 billion shillings compared to the previous year, attributed partly to delayed property tax collection and lower than expected parking and transport levy income.

The road repair programme will require contractor approval at the city's Tender Board by July 27. Work orders are expected to be issued by early August. For waste services, the pilot programme runs from September through February 2027, after which the council will vote on expanding extended hours to all 17 constituencies. City administration officials told council members Monday that expanded collection hours would require hiring an additional 340 casual labourers and deploying 28 extra collection vehicles, pending budget approval in the next fiscal cycle.

Both decisions were passed with majority votes and without amendments. The council is scheduled to reconvene on August 14 to address pending motions on parking fee increases and a proposed water infrastructure bond.