NAIROBI — In a bold move that has stirred fresh debate on Kenya’s urban planning and political direction, Prof. George Wajackoyah has proposed shifting the nation’s capital from Nairobi to Isiolo — and relocating Parliament to Nakuru.
“Nairobi is sinking,” the Roots Party leader said bluntly on TV47’s Daily Report programme on Monday. “It was built on a swamp. We need to open up a new city in Isiolo. It’s better located — near Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor.”
Wajackoyah, who shot to prominence in the 2022 general election with proposals that included exporting marijuana and snake venom, insists Nairobi’s location is flawed from the start — a colonial miscalculation, he says. “They didn’t think it through. Now we’re paying the price.”
And he’s not done. “Parliament will also have to move — maybe to Nakuru,” he added, suggesting that dispersing key government institutions across the country could finally unlock true devolution. “Look at what Tanzania did with Dodoma. Nigeria did the same with Abuja. The U.S. is creating new cities. Why not us?”
A City Sinking?
Wajackoyah’s claims about Nairobi’s sinking might sound dramatic, but experts say he’s not entirely off the mark.
Research published through the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) confirms parts of Nairobi are indeed subsiding. This is especially evident in neighbourhoods west and north-west of the city, where buildings have experienced slow, steady sinking over the years.
A study led by Pius Kirui and other Kenyan researchers found the worst-hit areas are sinking at a rate of up to 62 millimetres a year — mostly due to overuse of groundwater and rapid urban expansion. “This sinking, or subsidence, contributes to severe flooding in some places,” the researchers noted.
Residents in parts of Nairobi like South C, Embakasi and Zimmerman have long complained of regular flooding, even after light rainfall. County officials have often blamed clogged drains and poor waste management, but now the science points to deeper structural issues beneath the surface — literally.
The Isiolo Vision
Why Isiolo? Wajackoyah sees the northern county as the perfect spot for a new capital. It sits at a crossroads of major infrastructure plans, including the LAPSSET corridor — a regional trade route connecting Kenya to its neighbours.
His pitch includes building a new airport to export agricultural goods straight from the nearby Mount Kenya region. “We can plan the city right from day one,” he said. “Not like Nairobi. I’ll be a dictator on this issue if I must.”
Still, the suggestion has divided opinion.
Supporters say Kenya needs fresh thinking and courage to tackle its urban challenges. “It’s provocative, yes — but maybe it’s time we rethink everything,” said urban planner Lilian Mwangi. “You can’t solve 21st-century problems with 20th-century infrastructure.”
Critics, however, view the idea as unrealistic, costly and politically charged. “Moving a capital isn’t like moving house,” said political analyst Mark Oloo. “It would require massive investment, decades of planning, and enormous political will. Right now, that’s in short supply.”
Not the First to Dream Big
Wajackoyah isn’t the first Kenyan leader to float the idea of relocating the capital. In 2016, former President Uhuru Kenyatta hinted at decongesting Nairobi by decentralising key government offices. But little came of it.
Tanzania’s move to Dodoma took more than 40 years to implement fully. Nigeria faced similar challenges moving to Abuja in the 1990s.
Whether Wajackoyah’s proposal is a flash in the pan or the beginning of a serious national conversation remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the question of Nairobi’s future — and Kenya’s readiness for the next century — is no longer just academic.
“Let’s face it,” Wajackoyah said. “We can’t keep patching potholes and pretending everything’s fine. Nairobi is sinking — and so are we if we don’t act.”
