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Nairobi MCAs plot Sakaja, deputy’s ouster
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja (right) and his deputy James Muchiri Njoroge acknowledges greetings from the crown after their swearing-in ceremony on August 25, 2022.
A political storm is brewing at City Hall after members of the Nairobi County Assembly (MCAs) on Tuesday resolved to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Johnson Sakaja and his deputy James Muchiri.
The development followed a charged two-hour meeting at the county assembly attended by 96 of the 122 MCAs, including Speaker Ken Ng’ondi, Majority Leader Peter Imwatok, Minority Whip Mark Mugambi and Deputy Minority Leader Waithera Chege.
Emerging from the meeting, the ward representatives declared that Governor Sakaja and his deputy “must go,” accusing them of being out of touch with Nairobi’s challenges.
Should their plan succeed, the Speaker of the County Assembly takes over as acting governor in accordance to Article 182(4), for a maximum of 60 days.
Within those 60 days, a by-election must be held to elect a new governor and deputy governor.
Governor Sakaja had promised to respond on the matter when the Nation reached out last evening but had not done so by the time of going to press.
Deputy Minority Whip Waithera Chege said it is now a question of “when, not if” signatures will be collected to begin the impeachment process, adding that the push has bipartisan support.
She cited grievances including delayed bursary disbursements, unpaid contractors, stalled projects, and the governor sidelining elected leaders.
“There is a serious disconnect between the Executive and the Assembly with bills and motions passed in the House not being implemented,” Ms Chege said.
“One of the resolutions we agreed on is that both the governor and his deputy must start packing. We are not threatening; we will do it. I am the one who proposed their removal and members are in agreement,” she added.
The Assembly, currently on a one-month recess until September 9, is expected to address the matter in a retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County, next week.
MCAs further accused the governor of undermining them by appointing “coordinators” to handle ward-level projects, bypassing elected representatives.
“A case in point is the distribution of motorbikes from State House which was done through these coordinators instead of MCAs,” Ms Chege said.
Roysambu MCA Sospeter Mumbi complained that Sakaja and his ministers are inaccessible, stalling development.
“We are tired. Nairobi must change, and the only way is to remove leaders standing in the way of service delivery—even if it means impeaching the governor,” Mr Mumbi said.
Baba Dogo MCA Geoffrey Majiwa accused Sakaja of disregarding the county’s approved budget and development plans.
“The governor is running the county like his personal property, changing projects in the budget and implementing them without consulting MCAs,” he said.
Nairobi CBD MCA Mwaniki Kwenya added: “We are ready, and if it means losing everything, so be it.”
At least 41 MCAs must sign an impeachment motion for it to be tabled in the House. For Sakaja to be removed, two-thirds of the Assembly—82 members—must vote in support.
This latest bid comes after two failed attempts to impeach the governor over incompetence and misuse of public resources.
The late Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve had previously initiated signature collection for an impeachment motion but later dropped it citing threats to his life.
Just last month, Assembly Clerk Edward Gichana received a petition from former Korogocho MCA Maxwell Achar, accusing Governor Sakaja of gross misconduct, including sponsoring goons to disrupt recent Gen Z demonstrations.
The petition alleged that the governor violated the Constitution, abused office and engaged in unlawful evictions of county tenants without court orders, in breach of housing rights under Article 43.
In his petition, Mr Achar cited that the first term county boss was in gross violation of the constitution and any other law, which is against Article 179(4) of the constitution, which dictates the manner in which a state officer is expected to exercise the powers bestowed towards him.
“The governor through his office and personal assistant recruited, sponsored and financed, further deployed criminal gangs armed with crude weapons on June 17, 2025to disrupt, terrorise, bully or to coerce by threats or violence and to maintain power of violence against lawful and peaceful protesters who were “peaceably and unarmed” picketing and demonstrating,” the petition reads.
The second ground is in line with the removal of tenants from the county government houses, which the petitioner says is against the gazette notice number 2728 of 2019, which had waived all rent arrears for Nairobi County properties accrued before April 30, 2029.
He said that the governor lied by saying that the tenants owe 15 years of rent, when in reality, the maximum after the 2019 waiver is 74 months, which is about six months and not 15 as claimed by the governor.
“And further in the contravening of the bill of rights, Human Rights Act 2011 and Article 43(1) on housing rights, the governor without adequate notice deployed criminal gangs in cooperation with a few county staff to carry out unlawful and illegal eviction of tenants in county houses and land without obtaining a court order.”
On the abuse of office, the petitioner claimed that using Governor Sakaja’s office to recruit criminal gangs to intimidate and harass peaceful protesters was in breach of Article 73 and 75 of the constitution of Kenya and Section 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 24, 32 and 34 of leadership and Integrity Act by breach of public trust.
However, Speaker Ng’ondi dismissed the petition, ruling that only sitting MCAs have the constitutional mandate to initiate impeachment.
