Nairobi, Kenya- Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is staring down the possibility of impeachment after Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) began collecting signatures to remove him from office.
By Sunday evening, August 31, 2025, at least 70 MCAs had already signed on—just 12 short of the 82 required to formally table the motion.
The move follows a tense Speaker’s Kamkunji held on August 26, where more than 90 legislators voiced frustration over the governor’s leadership. Chaired by Speaker Ken Ngondi, the meeting ended with a resolution to pursue Sakaja’s removal.
What has made the development particularly striking is the rare show of unity across party lines. For the first time, MCAs from both the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are moving in lockstep, having met privately to map out their strategy.
Grievances Against Sakaja
The charges levelled at the governor cut deep into the daily realities of Nairobians. MCAs accuse him of failing to fulfil key campaign pledges, stalling the Ward Development Fund, and delaying the disbursement of bursaries meant to support students from low-income families.
South B MCA Chege Waithera, who confirmed the resolution, argued that Sakaja had “lost touch with Nairobians and the trust of the Assembly.” She added that residents could not continue suffering under a leadership that had abandoned its promises.
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai echoed the sentiment, confirming that “close to 70 signatures have been collected in a members’ initiated process to impeach Nairobi Governor Johnson Arthur Sakaja.”
If the threshold is met, one member must formally table a notice of motion in the Assembly. At least a third of MCAs are required to back the notice before debate can begin.
The impeachment motion would then proceed to a vote, where two-thirds of the Assembly must support it to succeed. If passed, Speaker Ngondi is legally bound to transmit the resolution to the Senate within two days.
The Senate would then convene to consider the charges, either through a special committee or in plenary. Sakaja would have an opportunity to defend himself before a final vote is taken.
Should senators uphold the motion by a simple majority, Nairobi’s governor would be removed from office. If the Senate rejects it, Sakaja would remain in office and be shielded from a fresh impeachment attempt on the same grounds for three months.
This showdown comes just days after Kericho Governor Erick Mutai narrowly survived his own impeachment trial in the Senate, highlighting the growing trend of county chiefs being put on the defensive by increasingly assertive assemblies.
