A section of Nairobi Members of County Assembly plan to impeach Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The move shows the political honeymoon between Sakaja and the MCAs appears to be over after 96 out of the 122 ward representatives attended a stormy Kamukunji, where they voiced deep frustrations over stalled projects, bursary delays, and the collapse of the Ward Development Fund.
The closed-door meeting, called by Speaker Ken Ngondi on Tuesday, exposed growing resentment against the governor, with members accusing him of incompetence and being out of touch with both the assembly and the people.
South B MCA Waithera Chege said members had endured unfulfilled promises and endless silence from the county executive while residents continued to question why services had ground to a halt.
“There are so many projects that have stalled within the wards, and the residents have been asking why those projects have not been completed,” Waithera said.
The UDA MCA, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader, pointed out that Nairobi remains among the few counties yet to release bursary funds to needy learners, adding that families were being unfairly punished by the delays.
She further accused the governor of deliberately neglecting the assembly’s resolutions.
“The members are also saying that the governor is not in touch, both with the people and with this assembly. He does not respond to members, and there is a clear breakdown in communication between the executive and the assembly,” Waithera said.
She said Sakaja had also failed to provide leadership on the Ward Development Fund and the implementation of laws already passed by the county assembly.
“So many motions and bills have been passed before this assembly, but the governor has not taken any implementation step,” Waithera said, warning that members had resolved to act.
At the Kamukunji, MCAs agreed to discuss the governor’s impeachment, a process that will be spearheaded during a retreat in Naivasha next week.
Waithera confirmed that the numbers required to remove the governor had already been surpassed.
“Signature collection will start very soon, and all members are coordinated. We believe by next week we will be ready to execute,” she said.
The growing rebellion has seen both ODM and UDA MCAs unite against the governor, with party leaders reportedly briefed on the unfolding developments.
Roysambu MCA Sospeter Wamumbi said the members were determined to stand firm regardless of threats.
However, critics have dismissed the plan, wondering how the MCAs want to execute the motion given the assembly is on recess.
The MCAs are yet to draft the motion or collect the required signatures as they plan a retreat next week to deliberate on the move.
Majority Whip Moses Ogeto (Kilimani Ward) said that MCAs met in an informal meeting known as “speaker’s Kamkunji” to discuss members’ welfare and emerging issues.
“Any member is free to draft a motion and seek signatures to impeach the governor,” Ogeto said without disclosing the details of their grievances.
According to Ogeto, the charges against Sakaja are not to be disclosed at this stage, as MCAs are still consulting adding today’s meeting attracted almost 100 of their county legislators.
Speaker Ken Ng’ondi said that although the issue of impeachment came up during the informal meeting, nothing concrete had been crafted.
“You cannot stop any member from speaking in such a forum. Someone can even shout, “Speaker Must Go.” However, when it comes to impeachment, there are procedures to be followed,” he said.
“An impeachment of a governor is not about a mob lynch but establishing grounds. After such a Kamkunji, any member can make a follow-up and draft a motion indicating the grounds.”
However, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai dismissed the threat to impeach the governor, terming it a ploy to blackmail the Nairobi County boss.
He linked the threat to a fallout between the assembly and executive over a planned land subdivision exercise in Nairobi.
“The MCAs want to wrestle the role of allocating those plots from the executive. This is a plot to intimidate the governor to surrender that role. I don’t trust those MCAs who attended the meeting,” Alai said.
The Kileleshwa MCA accused the county assembly majority leadership of double standards, saying they have in the past frustrated efforts to introduce an impeachment motion on the grounds that they don’t have clearance from Raila Odinga.
“The question is; have they now been cleared by Raila to send Sakaja home? I doubt it. It’s all about their interests. This is blackmail. They are more guilty of the crimes that they accused Sakaja of,” Alai added.
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