President William Ruto will make history this April as the first sitting head of state to address a Kenyan county assembly. Following an official invitation from the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), the president has confirmed he will speak at the Nairobi City County Assembly on Thursday, April 9.
According to Chief of Staff Felix Koskei, the address follows the signing of the National Government-Nairobi County Cooperation Pact at State House nearly two months ago. That agreement has sparked intense public debate regarding how the capital city and the national government will function together moving forward.
The event will begin at 2:30 pm within the Assembly Chambers at City Hall. In preparation for the visit, the Office of the President has requested the MCAs to submit a brief detailing the specific issues and information they wish to discuss during the session.
“I refer to your letter dated Ref. No. NCCA/SPK/OP/2026/02/01 dated 18th February, 2026, inviting His Excellency the President to address the County Assembly on 9th April, 2026,” read part of a letter addressed to Speaker Ken Ngondi.
The correspondence further confirmed the logistics of the historic visit:
“This is therefore to inform you that the event has been programmed accordingly on 9th April, 2026, at 2.30 pm at the Assembly Chambers, City Hall, Nairobi. You are requested to forward a brief and any other relevant information to this office for use by His Excellency.”
The historic address will take place just two days after the assembly returns from its Easter recess. Since the dawn of devolution 16 years ago, no sitting or retired President has ever addressed any of Kenya’s 47 county assemblies. This unprecedented move represents a major change in national-county relations and will likely trigger political debate across the country.
This development coincides with the rollout of a landmark KSh 80 billion cooperation agreement between the national government and the Nairobi City County Government. Formally executed in February 2026, the deal establishes a structured financing framework to modernize the capital’s infrastructure, focusing on roads, water supply, housing, and waste management.
Under the pact, the government has committed KSh 3.7 billion to complete 10,000 unfinished streetlights and install an additional 40,000 across the city to bolster security and the night-time economy. Other major investments include KSh 2.1 billion to upgrade the Ng’ethu Water Treatment Plant and KSh 50 billion for the ambitious Nairobi River regeneration program.
President Ruto has clarified that the agreement does not constitute a transfer of county functions to the state but rather provides “structured national government support” to elevate Nairobi to the status of a globally competitive metropolis. Despite these assurances, the deal continues to spark debate over the balance between national oversight and county autonomy.
