Githurai Member of the County Assembly (MCA) Deonysias Mwangi Waithira has announced his intention to resign as the area’s representative in the Nairobi County Assembly, sparking mixed reactions from residents and raising questions about the state of devolution.
Mr Mwangi, who was elected on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket in the last election, expressed frustration with the Nairobi County Government under Governor Johnson Sakaja, saying poor service delivery had prompted him to “throw in the towel.”
Appearing on Fixing the Nation on Nation FM and NTV on Monday morning, Mr Mwangi clarified that he had not yet formally resigned and that a draft of his resignation letter had leaked before he signed it.
“I made the decision to resign and indicated in the letter that I would sign it on November 1, 2025. But the people who will ultimately decide the way forward are the residents of Githurai. This decision has already borne fruit — Kura has just notified residents about public participation on the construction of Cifu Road,” Mr Mwangi said.
In his resignation letter dated September 17, the MCA cited multiple grievances with Governor Sakaja’s leadership, which he described as lacking commitment to fulfilling promises of service delivery.
“I have held meetings with clergy in Githurai and with residents, where I informed them of my decision. They pledged their support because they know how much I have tried to push for development,” he said.
Mr Mwangi said that while he remains in office until November, when he intends to sign the resignation letter if no action is taken by the governor, he will continue fighting for his constituents.
He also announced a meeting with residents on Tuesday to deliberate on the poor state of roads and other concerns.
“I have stated that things are not working in this regime. Even if the seat were declared vacant today and IEBC called a by-election, I would not vie. I supported the impeachment motion against Governor Sakaja 100 percent. My signature was the first on the list,” he said.
However, Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi said he has not received any resignation letter from Mr. Mwangi.
The Constitution outlines the procedure through which a member can resign from an elective position.
Article 194 states that the seat of a Member of County Assembly becomes vacant if the member dies, misses eight sittings of the assembly without the speaker’s written permission and without providing a satisfactory explanation, is removed over leadership and integrity issues, or resigns in writing addressed to the speaker, among other grounds.
In Mr Mwangi’s case, he would need to formally submit his resignation letter to the Speaker, who would then confirm receipt, communicate to the House and declare the seat vacant.
The Speaker would thereafter notify the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which would announce a by-election.
Recently, the Speaker notified IEBC of a vacancy in Kariobangi North following the death of MCA Joel Munuve. The commission has scheduled the by-election for November 27, alongside others in the country.
