As the year 2025 comes to an end, a scrutiny of performances by Nairobi Members of the Nairobi City County Assembly has ranked Nairobi South B’s Waithera Chege as one of the most active members in both plenary and committee sessions.
Waithera, alongside Minority Leader Anthony Kiragu,Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura,Lindi MCA Jera Ochieng,Mugumoini’s Jared Akama and nominated MCA Perpetua Mponjiwa ranked as the most active.
The analysis and survey by the Caucus of Nairobi Assembly Journalists focused on plenary contributions, substance and impact of motions moved, committee contributions and the level of representation
Waithera who is the Deputy Minority Leader has formally tabled a number of motions this year, among them a motion seeking to rename a prominent Nairobi road in memory of the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, who passed away on April 5, 2025.
In the motion, she highlighted the late Senior Counsel Nowrojee’s remarkable contributions to Kenya’s legal landscape, describing him as a distinguished advocate, human rights defender, and a stalwart of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
“Renaming a major city road after Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee will serve as a lasting tribute to his enduring legacy and unwavering commitment to justice in Kenya,” she stated.
She also moved a motion compelling the Johnson Sakaja-led executive to develop a comprehensive street lighting policy, linking widespread insecurity in the capital to poorly lit public spaces.
Chege highlighted the growing concern over the rising levels of insecurity in Nairobi, linking the trend to insufficient lighting in public spaces.
In November, she requested a statement from the Health Committee seeking the executive to farnish the assembly with a full report detailing the status of SHA claims and disbursements for the last one.
This is after reports of glaring disparities in disbursements and alleged misuse of the funds surfaced in various media outlets.
She has also raised concerns over land issues affecting Nairobi South residents, some of which have ended up in court.
She has reiterated her own commitment to safeguarding public land and combating land grabbing in South B.
Key bills sponsored by the legislator so far include the Climate change Bill that seeks to provide the required legal framework to put in place county mitigation strategies and adaptive programmes to fight climate change.
Others include the Air Quality Bill aimed at curbing the rising rate of respiratory and heart diseases and the Violent Extremism Bill to spearhead eradication of extremists’ groups that are a threat to the county’s security.
She has been acknowledged for her unwavering Support for affordable housing agenda.
Currently in her ward,the government is almost completing a modern market to complement the affordable housing program.
This year,she partnered with relevant stakeholders to help in High school Girls’ empowerment programs and these has seen her receive an excellence award by universe Youth Festival.
The other MCA who hit headlines is Ngara Ward representative Chege Mwaura who moved a censure motion against Lydia Mathia, the County Chief Officer for Housing and Urban Renewal.
Section of Nairobi residents have welcomed the move by Nairobi MCAs to pass the censure motion against her after she spearheaded evictions of tenants from county houses over rent arrears.
The censure motion received overwhelming support from MCAs, who condemned the manner in which the exercise was carried out.
The motion cited Mathia for allegedly violating the constitutional rights of the residents and defying a court order that stayed the evictions until it is heard and determined.
Lindi Ward’s Jera Ochieng also stood out as a great contributor after tabling a motion to initiate a special probe into how public land and open spaces are being used.
It specifically targeted parcels originally reserved for schools, hospitals, recreational facilities, playgrounds, markets and other essential public amenities.
Karen Ward’s Anthony Maragu also moved a motion to compel the county to subject any conflict to alternative dispute resolution rather than costly litigation, amid concerns that legal bills are becoming unsustainable in the county.
The motion after the auditor general’s report flagged the ever-rising legal costs accrued by City Hall on externally single-sourced advocates, despite the county having a fully staffed legal department.
The 2023-24 audit report shows Nairobi county was the biggest spender on legal costs among devolved units, with Sh21.3 billion in outstanding legal fees—an amount that accounts for 11 per cent of its pending bills.
According to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, Sh6.2 billion of the amount is owed to just four advocates, representing 29 per cent of the total debt.
Kilimani’s Moses Ogeto sponsored the Nairobi City County Health Services Bill while the Enforcement of the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act,2015 was moved by Nairob West MCA Rex Omolle.
