Nairobi’s Ward Development Fund projects are emerging as one of the key drivers of grassroots infrastructure development in the capital.
The projects ranging from roads and drainage systems to schools, social halls, trading facilities and health infrastructure being rolled out across the city’s 85 wards.
According to Ward Development Fund Committee Chairperson Ahmedqadar Dabar , the fund is designed to ensure that development responds directly to the priorities identified by residents while guaranteeing value for public resources.
The programme has increasingly shifted the focus of development from major city projects to neighbourhood-level interventions that have an immediate impact on residents’ daily lives.
“The Ward Development Programme is a capital development programme which ensures that a specific portion of the County annual budget is devoted to the wards for purposes of development and in particular the fight against poverty and improving the lives of Nairobi residents,” he said
The programme has recorded significant investments in roads and drainage, which remain among the most pressing infrastructure needs in Nairobi’s densely populated estates.
In the 2022/2023 financial year, the programme procured 104 projects valued at about Sh1.75 billion.
They included 85 roads and drainage projects, three social halls, seven Early Childhood Development Education blocks, two sports facilities, four trading facilities, two health facilities and a perimeter fence.
Twenty-five road projects had been completed at the time of the county’s report.
The scale of investment expanded further in 2023/2024, when the Ward Development Fund allocation was increased from Sh1.4 billion to Sh2 billion, translating to an increased allocation for projects across all 85 wards.
In Kware Ward, Day-to-Day Swaminarayan Road has been upgraded from an impassable earth track to a bituminous all-weather road, addressing long-standing challenges caused by poor drainage and deteriorating surfaces.
Similar improvements have been undertaken along Kyangombe-Muthokinju Road in Imara Daima and Gotham Muslim Road in Kabiro Ward.
He says s such projects should not be viewed merely as construction works, arguing that better roads can stimulate local commerce, improve safety and restore dignity to residents.
By constructing Day to Day Swaminarayan road in Kware ward, Kyangombe-Muthokinju road in Imara Daima ward and Gotham Muslim road in Kabiro ward, we have restored dignity and created opportunities for the residents,”
Key roads in Kamkunji including Eastleigh have also been upgraded.
The impact is also being felt in other parts of the city.
In Kibra and Dagoretti North, the programme has overseen road upgrades and drainage works, including improvements in Jamhuri Estate, Kamburu Drive and Ginge Road.
In Woodley Ward, drainage works have been undertaken to address flooding challenges.
In Starehe, Kasarani and Roysambu, projects include the upgrading of Gikomba/Hardware Road, Nico Bar Crescent, Wanjas Lane, SDA Chieko Road, Kiarunda Road and Village Inn Road.
The projects are particularly significant in areas where poor access roads have traditionally affected movement of people, goods and services.
Investment beyond roads
Kimathi’s vision for the programme extends beyond roads.
The Ward Development Programme has also invested in ECDE infrastructure, social halls, markets, sports facilities and health projects, reflecting an approach that seeks to address different community needs at ward level.
In Kayole Central, for example, pupils at Bondeni Primary School have benefited from a modern ECDE block, while Kayole South has seen the construction of Kayole II Social Hall and a resource centre.
The programme has also supported non-motorised transport facilities, including walkways in informal settlements such as Mathare and Mabatini, while roads in residential estates have been rehabilitated.
In Uthiru/Ruthimitu, the programme oversaw what Nairobi County described as its first county-funded tarmac road in the area, while other projects have included infrastructure improvements in New Ngara Estate.
Focus on accountability
As the programme expands, Kimathi has repeatedly stressed the importance of planning, monitoring and accountability in the use of development funds.
During a 2024 technical workshop on the 2025/2026 budget estimates, he called for WDP projects to be aligned with the County Integrated Development Plan and other approved planning instruments.
He also raised concerns over recurring audit issues, particularly project management and adherence to contract timelines, urging officers to ensure that active contracts remain within their valid periods.
Recent completed projects in Embakasi Central, Embakasi East, Embakasi South, Dagoretti North, Kibra, Starehe, Kasarani and Roysambu illustrate the programme’s growing footprint.
The approach has also created opportunities for local workers and businesses during implementation, while improved roads are expected to enhance access to schools, markets, health facilities and residential areas.
With Nairobi continuing to grapple with rapid population growth, congestion, flooding and inadequate neighbourhood infrastructure, the Ward Development Programme is positioning itself as a mechanism for taking development closer to communities.
Kimathi maintains that the objective is not simply to build infrastructure, but to ensure that every ward receives projects capable of producing measurable social and economic benefits.
“Our mandate is to ensure that Nairobians get value for every shilling allocated to Ward Development Projects,” Dabar said in 2025, adding that completed projects demonstrate what can be achieved when residents’ priorities are translated into actual development.
