Nairobi MCAs Move to Impeach Sakaja and Deputy

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his deputy James Muchiri are facing a renewed impeachment push, with over 90 Members of the County Assembly backing the move.

A total of 96 out of 122 MCAs met at City Hall and agreed to begin the process to remove the governor and his deputy from office. The meeting was attended by senior county leaders, including Speaker Ken Ng’ondi, Majority Leader Peter Imwatok, and Minority Whip Mark Mugambi. Deputy Minority Whip Waithera Chege, who introduced the proposal, confirmed that the motion had cross-party support and would proceed once the assembly resumes in September.

Among the key concerns raised by MCAs are claims of mismanagement, exclusion of elected leaders from ward-level development decisions, and violations of the Constitution. The governor is accused of sidelining MCAs by appointing unelected coordinators to oversee local projects, including the distribution of motorbikes provided by the State House. Legislators also cited delayed bursary disbursements, unpaid contractors, and stalled development programmes as evidence of administrative failure.

Although the assembly is currently in recess until 9 September, the impeachment process is expected to advance during a planned retreat in Naivasha next week. MCAs are preparing to collect at least 41 signatures, the minimum required to formally table the motion. If the motion passes, the Speaker would assume the role of acting governor for up to 60 days, during which a by-election would be held to fill the vacant position.

This is not the first attempt to impeach Governor Sakaja. A previous effort led by the late Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve did not succeed, amid reports of intimidation. More recently, a petition by former Korogocho MCA Maxwell Achar accused the governor of gross misconduct, including sponsoring violence and unlawful evictions. However, the Speaker dismissed the petition on procedural grounds, noting that only sitting MCAs are allowed to initiate an impeachment motion.