NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has dismissed claims that he went into hiding to evade arrest after police surrounded City Hall on Monday evening over his failure to honour a Senate summons.
Speaking Tuesday after presenting himself before the Senate of Kenya, Sakaja said he had already left his office by the time police officers arrived, noting the operation occurred outside working hours.
“Who is in the office at 7 pm? They were looking for me, yet I am here at the Senate as required. I have no problem with the Senate. There is just an issue that needs to be resolved. I have nothing to run away from,” Sakaja said.
The governor said his decision to appear in person was meant to dispel speculation about his whereabouts and demonstrate respect for the Senate’s oversight role.
“I came to the Senate to meet the leadership and members of the committee. First, I am a law-abiding citizen,” he added.
Police had camped at City Hall in a bid to arrest the governor for failing to appear before the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’.
Sakaja denied deliberately ignoring the summons, saying he was acting in line with a resolution by the Council of Governors directing governors not to appear before the committee pending resolution of disputes over the oversight process.
“When the CoG raised issues regarding that specific committee, we were guided that those concerns be resolved first. Accountability is important, but it must be undertaken in the right way,” he said.
The governor added that he had engaged both Senate and CoG leadership to de-escalate the standoff and find a lasting solution, allowing governors to submit to oversight without what he termed “unnecessary drama.”
Earlier, the Council of Governors condemned the attempted arrest and called for the withdrawal of arrest warrants issued against Sakaja and Samburu Governor Jonathan Lelit.
Sakaja also questioned why he had been singled out, noting that 29 governors had been summoned before the same committee, with many failing to appear.
“It is wrong to single out one county or one governor. The drama we are seeing is not fair. The CoG is an institution just like the Senate; let the two institutions resolve the matter collectively,” he said.
He reiterated his willingness to appear before the committee once institutional concerns between the Senate and governors are resolved.
Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud defended the attempted arrest, saying officers were acting on information that the governor could be at City Hall.
“We have been looking for him, and we never got him, but we received information that he might be around. That is why we are here this evening. The work is not finished because we have not taken him to the Senate, but that we will do. We do not tolerate impunity. We have a country to protect,” Mohamud said.
