Why MCAs want Sakaja out of City Hall

A section of elected leaders in Nairobi County has vowed to impeach Governor Johnson Sakaja,  saying that he is out of touch with the challenges facing the city residents.

In a meeting held at City Hall on Tuesday, the MCAs also accused the county boss of failing to deliver his pledges three years on with stalled projects in the Wards.

Speaking after the meeting, Deputy Minority Leader Waithera Chege said other issues that they deliberated on were failure by the governor to disburse bursaries and the Ward Development Fund, citing that it has not been working.

“That is why we have stalled projects, and the residents have been asking questions, the members have also been feeling that the governor is completely out of touch with the ground and MCAs,” Waithera, who is the Nairobi South representative, stated

“Three-quarters of the Members who call the governor cannot receive their calls or call back, so there are issues of communication between the Executive and the Assembly and his failure to come out on the issue of broad-based government,” she added.

The member explained that some issues are supposed to be dealt with by the intergovernmental laws, but Sakaja has failed to offer guidance.

At the same time, they said motions and bills that have been passed by the Assembly have never been implemented.

“Signature collection will start very soon, and all members are coordinated, and by next week, we will be having a retreat on the same,” added Waithera.

She said that the special meeting was attended by 96 out of 122 members, thus they could get numbers to send home to Sakaja and his deputy.

“The collection of the signatures will continue so long as the Speaker calls for a retreat. It is not his duty to collect the signatures, but a motion can be initiated by a member. We wish we had made this resolution four months ago,” she added. 

While the MCAs are currently on recess, the Minority leader said they will reach out to Assembly Speaker Ken Ngondi to call for a special sitting.

Governor Sakaja did not respond to our inquiry on the claims by the MCAs that he was not in touch with the challenges facing the city residents and was sidelining them.

Meanwhile, Roysambu Member,  Sospeter Mumbi said there was no need to remain silent as Nairobi residents suffer without proper services.

“We are tired of kneeling before the governor, CECs and Chief Officer, because they have ignored us, the Members. We have resolved to start the process of impeachment and append our signatures so that the residents can be served better,” said Mumbi

Nairobi CBD Mwaniki Kwenya accused the governor of working with opponents of sitting MCAs for the 2027 elections, noting that he is supposed to coordinate development with elected leaders.

This will be the second initiative by the assembly to impeach the government, with the first one having been coordinated by former Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve, who died in April this year.

Two residents had also petitioned the assembly to impeach the governor, but the petitions were thrown out by the speaker.