The highly anticipated Nairobi County Festival, which was launched by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja two years ago to celebrate and showcase the city’s vibrancy and culture, will not take place this year.
The festival, first introduced in 2022 when Sakaja took office, has been affected by a financial crisis. According to Clement Rapudo Sijenyi, also known as Clemo, who serves as Nairobi County’s Chief Officer for Culture, Arts, and Tourism, the event will not occur this year due to budget constraints.
“We will not be holding the Nairobi Festival this year because we don’t have the budget,” Clemo told Nairobi News.
Clemo, a veteran producer and co-founder of the once-popular Ogopa Deejay Record label, explained that instead of the festival, the county will host a concert sponsored by the Nairobi Liquor and Licensing Department before the year concludes.
This means that Governor Sakaja’s promise to hold the festival throughout his first term will not be fulfilled after two successful events that saw large turnouts. The week-long celebration last year featured over 30 local artists, DJs, and comedians who entertained thousands of Kenyans in a lively atmosphere.
The governor had emphasized that the festival aimed to provide a platform for local artists, recognize emerging talents in the county, and connect them with established figures to further develop their skills.
Typically, before December, the county announces various categories for competition, including awards for the most decorated “nganya” in the matatu sector. Last year, the Nairobi County Assembly allocated Sh20 million for the festival, with residents encouraged to showcase their rich culture, including food.
Despite a 20 percent increase in revenue collection for the county in the last financial year, which reached Sh12.8 billion, the budget for the 2024/2025 financial year, as presented by County Executive for Finance Charles Kerich, was Sh43.6 billion, with plans for growth in various key sectors aimed at improving service delivery.
