From left: Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his predecessors Ann Kananu, Mike Sonko and Dr Evans Kidero.
City Hall stands out as the only county in Kenya to have had five governors since the advent of devolution in 2013.
Dr Evans Kidero, Mike Sonko, Benson Mutura, Ann Kananu and Johnson Sakaja have occupied the governor’s office along City Hall Way.
However, the governorship of Nairobi – Kenya’s capital and economic hub – has proven to be more of a poisoned chalice than a seat of power.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Roads at Bunge Tower Nairobi on March 18, 2025.
Mr Sonko and Dr Kidero are some of the casualties of what is fast becoming a jinxed office that appears to humble political titans who dare occupy it.
On the other hand, Ms Kananu cannot be considered a political titan while Mr Mutura only served as acting governor for less than a month between December 21, 2020 and January 18, 2021.
Vested interests, fight for control of billions in allocations from the national government and development partners as well as access to billions in own-source revenue have often seen previous governors become captives of powers-that-be.
Coming in as the inaugural governor in 2013, Dr Kidero huffed and puffed in the corridors of the City Hall with mixed fortunes.
Former Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero addresses journalists at Boulevard Hotel in Nairobi on January 14, 2024.
The technocrat, coming in with a stellar career record straddling the private and public sectors, left City Hall with his reputation in tatters having left behind a tarnished image marred by allegations of mismanagement.
The 68-year-old had served as the chief executive officer of Mumias Sugar Company for eight years, resigning in 2012 to join elective politics.
He was also Nation Media Group’s CEO for two years and worked at Warner Lambert for four years and SmithKline Beecham Healthcare International for 12 years.
Despite the more than 26 years in the upper echelons of the corporate ladder, his tenure was perpetually bogged down by corruption scandals, inefficient service delivery and political inertia.
The pharmacist described his time as Nairobi governor as being marked by constant opposition from “city cartels” and political forces, which he said undermined service delivery and reforms at City Hall.
Charges of abuse of office
Nairobi electorates spared him more troubles when they voted him out in the 2017 elections, having achieved little in terms of transformative leadership. Nonetheless, he maintained he was “rigged out” by the forces who frustrated his work at City Hall.
In 2018, however, he was arrested on charges of abuse of office, money laundering and bribery, with more arrests following, where at one time he had to spend four nights in a police cell and some at Integrity Centre.
In November 2025, a Nairobi Anti-Corruption court acquitted him in a Sh213 million corruption case, with the magistrate ruling that the prosecution failed to prove he authorised or benefited from payments to companies for services not rendered.
In 2022, the Mang’u School alumnus tried a comeback in Homa Bay but was defeated by Gladys Wanga in the gubernatorial race, where he ran on an Independent ticket.
Dr Kidero garnered 154,182 votes against Ms Wanga’s 244,559 votes. He is now reported to be eyeing a comeback at City Hall in 2027 on a United Democratic Alliance party ticket.
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on February 5, 2026.
Nairobi residents replaced the corporate titan with a flamboyant lawmaker in the name of Sonko, who swept to power on the back of his grassroots appeal.
The exact opposite of his predecessor, the former Makadara MP assumed office with bravado, but soon, it was that bluster that swallowed him whole in less than three years.
His time in office was characterised by erratic leadership, viral social media rants and public disputes with officials from both the county and national governments.
The flamboyant governor often claimed that he was being sabotaged by the 'deep state' and refused to appoint a deputy governor for most of his term, following the huff resignation of Polycarp Igathe in January 2018, effectively running the county alone.
In March 2020, the national government preferred to leave him with lighter duties when he was forced to surrender key county functions, including health, transport and planning, to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services led by military officer Major-General Mohamed Badi.
Lieutenant General Mohamed Badi who served as the Director-General of Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
Nine months later, the City Hall doors were slammed shut on his face when he was unceremoniously removed from office by impeachment in December 2020 by Nairobi County Assembly for gross misconduct and abuse of office, a decision that was confirmed by the Senate.
The impeachment meant Mr Sonko will be in the political cold for 10 years before he can think of making any comeback. He has also been dragged in court over multi-million graft allegations like his predecessor.
His substantive successor, Ms Kananu in 2023, painted a grim picture of tribulations one goes through while at the helm of the capital city.
She noted that the office being political, there is a lot of political interference where the governor is not in control, as with other counties.
Former Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu during the launch of voters registration exercise at City Hall, Nairobi on January 18, 2022.
The ex-county boss added that there are also cartels more powerful than even people in the investigative and justice systems.
“I was captive myself. You would get calls from all over saying pay this, do this, sign this and if you don’t, there are consequences even to the extent of impeachment. You always operate under threats,” said Ms Kananu in an interview with Nation.
“I remember when I was the governor, I would even receive written letters from cabinet secretaries saying they wanted so and so to be paid.”
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