How Nairobi MCAs were threatened to save Sakaja

We were coerced to shelve Sakaja ouster, say MCAs threatened to save Sakaja head head

Several Nairobi MCAs say they were threatened to drop the impeachment attempt against Governor Johnson Sakaja.

And members from President William Ruto and Raila Odinga's parties say they are not done with Sakaja yet, promising to bring back the impeachment Motion if he does not change his ways.

A source from a meeting called to assuage ODM members said the party threatened to deny them tickets in the 2027 elections if they pushed on with the Motion.

On Tuesday, assembly members from ODM and the ruling UDA met their respective party leaders, Raila Odinga and President William Ruto, in a bid to save the besieged Governor.

President Ruto asked for 60 days to intervene and have the issues raised resolved. Those who attended the meeting chaired by Raila said the party leader asked for 30 days.

An ODM Ward Rep described the meeting as a waste of time, claiming they would not withdraw the signatures.

“We are not happy at all. Many people think the party is democratic but it is not...it was just intimidation. It is a big blow to Nairobians when two handshake-brothers want to decide everything on our behalf,” said the MCA.

“The impeachment Motion will be back in one month because we are in the mid-term and these people are staring at political careers ending. I don’t think Sakaja will change.”

Embakasi Central MCA Benjamin Gathiri alias Major Donk termed the move by Ruto and Raila to save Sakaja a big betrayal of the city residents.

“It's is very shameful when the whole of Nairobians who voted are crying because they are getting poor services then the handshake brothers can get eight hours to discuss someone who is incompetent instead of using that time to hear the pleas of Nairobi residents,” he said.

“It has already been decided that Sakaja will be a one-term governor. Whether he is saved or not within the next 10 months, he will be out. Either way, Nairobi residents have decided that he must go.”

Another MCA accused Raila and former Westlands MP Fred Gumo of pushing for their interests and not those of the electorate.

“When Sakaja was forming his government, he brought his people into the cabinet, of which Gumo’s son is one of them; thus, when they claim to be offering solutions, it is for their own benefits,” the member said.

“The assembly leadership is also to blame. They don’t make their own decisions. It is a sad day for Nairobi residents but we have tried our best.” 

Governor Sakaja, who was elected on a UDA ticket, opted to attend the ODM meeting.

The members aired out their grievances, including stalled projects and revenue shortfall.

 Sakaja is said to have been given about two minutes to apologise, where he defended the delay of bursary funds.

"Sakaja noted that the release of funds had not been possible after being stopped by Controller of Budget. He shared details of the bursary that had been released since 2022," said an MCA.

The Ward Reps also demanded that Sakaja fires some of his close allies, including a former MCA accused of blocking assembly members from accessing the Governor.

Sakaja also promised to enhance the ward development fund. 

However, some MCAs claim they were ordered to toe the line to secure ODM tickets in 2027.

“I respect Raila because he is experienced politically than me but I don’t respect Sakaja. I don’t think he will do anything differently because it is his character, he cannot change,” said Kileleshwa member Robert Alai after the meeting.

“Sakaja is entering into a lot of public-private partnerships without involving the assembly. When he was asked all these things in front of Raila, he said that he is the chief executive." 

The MCA said while City Hall has an office for Sakaja, the Governor opted to establish another centre of power in Riverside Drive.

The MCAs also raised concern about Sh1.2 billion channeled to the Dishi na County school feeding programme per year. 

ODM is the majority party in the city assembly, while UDA is the minority. The entry of Raila in the so-called broad-based government is therefore a godsend for Sakaja.

On Monday, a meeting between Raila and assembly members failed to bear fruit, prompting Ruto and the ODM leader to summon their members separately.

UDA members who attended the State House meeting confirmed that Governor Sakaja did not attend.

“We didn’t want him in today's meeting, but I also think it was in the President’s wisdom not to call him. We aired our grievances,” said Minority Deputy Leader Waithera Chege.

It emerged that another meeting is set for today in State House to discuss how the Governor would resolve the grievances raised. 

“We are sitting with the Governor and the President on Wednesday that in his presence, both teams will note the issues raised by the MCAs,” she said

However, Waithera clarified that the impeachment Motion had not been withdrawn. “If the issues that we raised are not implemented within those 60 days, then we will table the Motion."

Makadara MP George Aladwa confirmed that the ODM meeting also resolved that the impeachment be postponed.

“The talks were open and no one was coerced to make the decision. The governor apologised and he was given one month to fix the problems raised by the MCAs,” he said.

During the signature collection on Monday, MCAs from both sides said the charges against Sakaja include corruption, misuse of public funds, and failing to deliver his pledges.

"We are not the people who do the roads, buy medical facilities, or provide bursaries. This is the mandate of the Executive," said Roysambu member Sospeter Mumbi, adding that their mandate is to oversight and legislate.

He accused the Governor of being unresponsive, including ignoring their letters.

"When we approvea  budget for infrastructure, the roads are not done and when we allocate money for ward development funds, contractors are not being paid thus we MCAs have ended up carrying the burden of the Executive."

Three years into Governor Sakaja's leadership, the city has slowly been deteriorating. Residents have been complaining of uncollected garbage especially in Mukuru slums, Kawangware, Enterprise Road, Huruma and other areas.

Another attempt to de-congest the city centre by relocating hawkers to back streets flopped, with traders resorting to cat-and-mouse games with county askaris.

Matatu operators also stood their ground, refusing to move an inch, leaving the Sh100 million plan in limbo. The initiative has largely collapsed. Most hawkers dismissed the designated lanes as unsafe, dimly lit and with only two of the 27 in use.

Stalls along Dubois Lane and Kenneth Matiba Road now lie abandoned, repurposed as open-air toilets at night.

Elsewhere, the education and health sectors fare no better. Public hospitals remain congested, while the much-hyped school feeding programme continues to be clouded in mystery.