Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has survived an impeachment attempt. The push came from MCAs unhappy with delays in bursary allocations and ward development projects.
Speaking to Inooro FM on Monday, September 15, Sakaja said the bursary delays were due to a ban on allocations. He noted that despite this, his administration had disbursed Ksh1.6 billion in bursaries over three years. By comparison, previous governors distributed Ksh3 billion over the same period.
MCAs Raise Concerns Over Ward Projects
MCAs also criticized the slow pace of ward-based programmes. Sakaja explained that delays were partly caused by late disbursement of funds from the national government. The stalled projects affected residents who depend on county development initiatives.
Intervention by Ruto and Raila
The impeachment motion was halted after interventions from President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
On September 2, Raila met Sakaja and ODM-allied MCAs at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation. He persuaded them to suspend the impeachment motion for one month to allow dialogue and reconciliation.
ODM Nairobi Chairperson George Aladwa confirmed that Sakaja apologized to the MCAs and acknowledged their grievances. Separately, President Ruto hosted UDA MCAs at State House, urging them not to pursue the motion.
Key Grievances
MCAs had cited:
- Failure to fulfill campaign promises
- Delays in bursary disbursements
- Stalled Ward Development Fund projects
- Neglect of residents’ needs
At the time, MCAs had gathered over 70 signatures out of the 82 required to table the impeachment motion.
Looking Ahead
With the impeachment temporarily paused, Sakaja faces pressure to restore trust and deliver results that meet both county residents’ needs and MCAs’ expectations.
