Governor Johnson Sakaja and late MCA Joel Munuve.
A sombre mood has descended on the Nairobi County Assembly as MCAs struggle to come to terms with the news of their colleague Kariobangi North’s Joel Munuve Kimanzi's death.
The late MCA was a fierce debater who dared a plot to impeach Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Mr Munuve was among the few vocal MCAs who could stand and call out injustice, marginalisation in the city, discrimination in terms of development and often sought accountability from the county leadership.
Having been voted in as an independent candidate in the 2022 General Election, Mr Munuve took this rare mandate to take on power without any fear, something that he attributed in his previous interviews with the Nation as his ‘magic bullet.’
“My friend, I was elected as an independent candidate. I represent my people of Kariobangi North and am not afraid of asking questions,” he said.
Mr Munuve was also among the active members in the Assembly.
He laid several motions and requested for statements on several occasions seeking answers from the executive side of Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Impeachment bid
In 2023, the MCA started the process of impeaching Governor Johnson Sakaja over alleged corruption.
“Everything is not working. If you go to my area, garbage is on the road. Why, because the people who were contracted to collect the garbage are not paid,” he said then.
His impeachment bid, however, ended prematurely, over what he said were threats.
But even then, Mr Munuve often declared that he was not afraid of death.
For him, it is like he always saw it coming, or perhaps he knew that he was living on borrowed time.
“I will fight for my people to death. I am not afraid. If they want to come for me, let them come. I was elected to represent my people, to say what is just and fair. I know that they are not fair that am saying these things,” Mr Munuve said once.
Fight 'the system'
His fight for the people of Kariobangi North saw him addressing the office of President in June 2024, where he strongly opposed the transfer of Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital from the national government to the county.
In the letter dated June 12, 2024, Mr Munuve informed President William Ruto of the disadvantages that awaits the residents of his ward and other vulnerable people living in the slums surrounding the facility if the transfer happens.
He expressed his displeasure with the county administration, saying that they prioritized making profit from the sick, and questioned the quality of service delivery to the people of Korogocho, Kariobangi and the county at large.
“The residents of Kariobangi North Ward do not have faith with the County Government hospital’s capacity to run Mama Margaret Uhuru Hospital because most of the time County Hospitals lack commodities, equipment, drugs and trained personnel,” part of the letter addressed to President Ruto, and Governor Sakaja reads.
His request was ignored, and instead, the county got permission from the President following a Cabinet approval which allowed the transfer of the facility which used to be Kenyatta National Hospital satellite to the county.
'Attacked by goons'
Still, he did not give up.
He moved a motion in the assembly and threatened to move to court stop the transfer, something that he was still working on until his death.
At one point, Mr Munuve revealed that his frequent criticism of Governor Sakaja’s administration landed him in trouble, and that he had been attacked by goons.
“I was attacked and beaten badly by the goons for opposing the transfer of the hospital…let’s remember that MCA’s role is oversight, and when we are doing our work and if you don’t have a sound mind, you will that we hate you,” he told journalists on January 14, 2025 at the assembly.
At one point, the member called for accountability in the country, asking all the leaders to operate within the law.
“Mine is that all leaders, starting from the governor and going down. Let us accept the fact that we can be held accountable, that oversight can happen and if you are afraid of that, then you have to resign and go home.”
Dishi na County
His recent move in the assembly was to seek answers on one of Governor Sakaja’s flagship programme, which is school feeding.
Unfortunately, the member did not live long enough to hear the response from the county on the implementation of the programme, which has been dubbed Dishi Na County.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja joins Nairobians in sharing a meal outside City Hall on August 9, 2023, during Dishi na County's test run.
In the statement that he made before the Assembly last month, the member questioned the framework under which the programme is operating.
He also sought answers on millions of donations being directed to the programme, yet each learner was paying Sh5 for every meal.
“Reason for using a limited company to manage and operate the programme. Any agreement or memorandum of understanding between the county executive and Food 4 Education Company,” his statement reads.
In one of the press addresses where he was flanked by Kitisuru MCA Alvin Olando Palapala, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai and Hamisi Suleiman Maleya of Kangemi, the member alleged that they were being threatened for questioning the county.
“Dishi Na County is a good programme that has seen our children going to school, but it has a lot of questions. However, when we ask these questions, it brings anger and goons are being sent to attack the members so that they instill fear among them.”
Land fraud
In January this year, the MCA raised alarm over what he claimed were suspicious activities taking place in two pieces of land in the country, claiming that some officials from the county and national government were planning to take over the parcel.
“These claims suggest that the public lands hosting the Nanyuki Road County Store and the Highway Store along Landhies Road meant to be the county facilities are on the verge of being seized under questionable circumstances, potentially undermining the everyday fight we as legislators are putting up to protect public properties across the county,” the statement before the Assembly reads, and it is also unfortunate that he died before receiving answers.
During the same month of January, the MCA blamed the governor for the delay in releasing county bursaries, a move that he said was affecting the studies of students from humble backgrounds who were depending on bursaries.
He faulted the governor for the delay in issuing bursaries when other counties had released in advance to allow students to report to schools without much struggle.
“When we say these things, we don’t say it because we hate Sakaja. We say this because it is our right as elected legislators. We are here because we were elected to represent our people and we have the right to seek answers. We don’t want to be paid a salary without doing our job,” Mr Munuve said in January this year.
At the same time, the MCA decried that devolution was being threatened by Governor Sakaja, whom he alleged had denied him bursaries for opposing some of his projects.
“My people from Kariobangi North have not been given bursary. Bursary is their right because the people of Kariobangi are being taxed and the money that ends up to bursaries is from their taxes. He (the governor) has refused simply because I’m fighting him,” he said in the statement.
The MCA was not only a great debater in the County Assembly chambers, but a man who was fluent in matters of accountability and representation.
Although Mr Munuve was from the Akamba community, he was not only eloquent in English and Kiswahili, but also in Dholuo.
He surprised many whenever he appeared on Dholuo television and radio stations to debate on different matters without hesitation.
The MCA was also always available in his ward office to interact with the people, something most MCAs are afraid to do.
In the last interview, the member said that he preferred to spend time with the people who elected him rather than loitering in the corridors of City Hall.
