Police move to arrest Governor Sakaja over snubbed Senate summons

Heavy police presence was reported outside City Hall in Nairobi on Monday as law enforcement moved to execute an arrest warrant against Governor Johnson Sakaja. The action follows a directive from the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) after the Governor failed to honor multiple invitations and subsequent summons to explain the expenditure of billions of shillings allocated to the city-county.

Police Spokesperson Michael Muchiri confirmed the deployment, stating that officers were tasked with presenting the Governor before the Senate committee. The standoff at the county headquarters marks a significant escalation in the ongoing friction between the Senate’s oversight wings and the executive leadership of Kenya's capital.

The Senate committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, had previously fined Governor Sakaja Sh500,000 for contempt. The committee expressed frustration over what it termed a pattern of "snubbing" parliamentary oversight. According to parliamentary records, the Governor had been invited three times to respond to audit queries raised by the Auditor General for the 2024/25 financial year, but failed to show up.

Among the primary concerns raised by the Senate are the management of the "Dishi na County" school feeding program and the construction of the Sh1.2 billion official governor’s residence. Senators have questioned the transparency of these multi-billion shilling infrastructure and social projects, noting that the lack of direct accountability from the Governor hinders the audit process.

During the session where the arrest order was issued, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna argued that the Governor must be compelled to account for county funds. The committee warned that continued defiance would lead to a resolution declaring the Governor unfit to hold public office, a move that could be forwarded to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The Inspector General of Police was directed to ensure the Governor was produced before the committee on Monday, March 30. By evening, reports indicated that police units remained stationed at various exit points of City Hall, though it was not immediately clear if the Governor was inside the building at the time of the operation.

Legal experts note that under Article 125 of the Constitution, the Senate has the same powers as the High Court to enforce the attendance of witnesses. This latest development underscores a tightening noose around county chiefs who have been accused of ignoring parliamentary summons related to the management of public resources and large-scale construction projects within their jurisdictions.