Sakaja Appears Before Senate, Ends Police Hunt Over Contempt Row
- Vincent Kiprop
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Tuesday appeared before Senate leadership and members of a watchdog committee, bringing to an end a police search linked to an arrest order over contempt of Parliament.
Sakaja said he chose to personally present himself before the Senate to demonstrate his willingness to engage with House committees, while calling for an amicable resolution to the standoff between the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Senate.
“I came to the Senate to meet the leadership and members of the committee. First, I am a law-abiding citizen,” Sakaja said.
He noted that he has consistently honoured summonses, revealing that he had appeared before Senate committees six times this year and about 10 times last year, including responding to audit queries dating back to 2015.
Sakaja, however, defended his earlier failure to appear before the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), stating that he was acting in line with a directive from the Council of Governors.
He explained that the CoG had raised concerns over alleged intimidation and extortion involving some members of the committee, and advised that the issues be addressed before governors could resume appearances.
“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 the dispute extends beyond Nairobi, disclosing that 29 governors had been summoned by the same committee, with most failing to appear, while those who attended declined to prosecute substantive matters in solidarity with the CoG.
Sakaja said he had engaged both Senate and CoG leadership in efforts to de-escalate the standoff and find a lasting solution.
“I have spoken to the Speaker of the Senate, the Chair of the Council of Governors, and my fellow governors. We need to resolve these issues so that we can be held accountable as required by the Senate,” he said.
He criticised what he termed as attempts to single him out, saying the situation surrounding his case had been exaggerated.
“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,” Sakaja added.
The Governor reiterated his commitment to accountability, maintaining that he is ready to appear before the committee once the issues between the two institutions are resolved.
“I have appeared before the committee before, and I will continue to do so. All we want is for the issues between the CoG and the Senate to be resolved,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that he was evading accountability, insisting that he had been available and had nothing to hide.
“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,” he said.
The development follows reports that police officers had camped at City Hall in a bid to arrest the governor after he failed to appear before the CPAC chaired by Moses Kajwang.
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