Nairobi City County has tabled a Sh44.6 billion budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, reassuring residents that no new taxes will be introduced. The announcement was made on Thursday by Finance and Economic Planning CEC Charles Kerich during a session at the County Assembly.
Kerich stated that the county government opted to maintain current tax rates in order to protect city residents from the ongoing economic hardships. “Due to financial constraints, the taxes will not be increased to protect our people from the tough economic times,” he said.
The budget allocates Sh31.2 billion to recurrent expenditure and Sh13.4 billion to development projects meeting the 30% threshold required by the Public Finance Management Act, 2012.
Rather than raising rates, the county has expanded its tax base, identifying new revenue streams that helped it surpass its own-source revenue target. Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge reported that Nairobi collected Sh13.7 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year, up from Sh12.8 billion in 2023/2024 and Sh12.1 billion in 2022/2023. He noted that the achievement came despite disruptions caused by frequent protests in the Central Business District.
Finance Chief Officer Asha Abdi expressed optimism for continued economic growth under Governor Johnson Sakaja’s leadership. She emphasized key areas of investment in the new budget, including Sh700 million earmarked for the school feeding programme, which currently supports over 316,000 learners.
The budget also commits Sh2.155 billion to ward development programmes, building on the completion of 145 projects over the past year. Infrastructure has been strongly prioritized, with Sh2.8 billion allocated for road construction and rehabilitation, and Sh1.033 billion for upgrading sports facilities and stadiums across the city.
Overall, the 2025/2026 Nairobi County budget focuses on enhancing public service delivery, infrastructure development, and social support programmes, while maintaining fiscal discipline and compliance with national financial regulations. The county’s strategy reflects a balanced approach to economic recovery and sustainable urban development.
