A cross-party group of Nairobi ward representatives has launched a fresh bid to unseat Governor Johnson Sakaja, accusing him of ignoring both the Assembly and the city’s day-to-day problems.
Deputy Minority Leader Waithera Chege told journalists on Tuesday that 96 of the county’s 122 MCAs met at City Hall and agreed to begin collecting signatures for an impeachment motion.
“That is why we have stalled projects, and the residents have been asking questions,” she said. “The members have also been feeling that the governor is completely out of touch with the ground and MCAs.”
Chege, who represents Nairobi South, said the wards have gone three years without many of the bursaries and Ward Development Fund allocations promised during the 2022 campaigns. She added that most bills passed by the Assembly “have never been implemented.”
Communication breakdown was another flashpoint. “Three-quarters of the Members who call the governor cannot receive their calls or call back,” Chege claimed, describing a widening rift between the executive and the legislature.
The MCAs plan to hold a retreat next week to firm up the impeachment strategy. “Signature collection will start very soon, and all members are coordinated,” Chege said, insisting they already have the numbers needed to table a motion once Speaker Ken Ngondi convenes a special sitting.
The House is currently on recess. Roysambu MCA Sospeter Mumbi echoed the frustration. “We are tired of kneeling before the governor, CECs and Chief Officer, because they have ignored us, the Members,” he said. “We have resolved to start the process of impeachment and append our signatures so that the residents can be served better.”
Nairobi CBD MCA Mwaniki Kwenya went further, accusing Sakaja of working with aspirants who plan to challenge sitting ward reps in the 2027 polls instead of collaborating with the current leadership on development.
This is not the first threat to Sakaja’s tenure. An earlier impeachment drive spearheaded by former Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve fizzled out after Munuve’s death in April. Two separate citizen petitions seeking the governor’s removal were also dismissed by Speaker Ngondi on procedural grounds.
Under Kenyan law, an impeachment motion requires the backing of at least one-third of MCAs to be introduced and two-thirds to pass. Should the motion succeed in the Assembly, it would then be forwarded to the Senate for trial.
The MCAs say they are confident they can meet those thresholds if the executive continues to ignore their concerns. For now, City Hall watchers will be looking to see whether the Speaker calls the requested special sitting, and whether the threatened signature drive gathers the momentum the MCAs predict.
