Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has been handed a lifeline after President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga stepped in to cool tensions at City Hall. Both leaders held separate meetings with their respective party members who had rallied to impeach the first-term governor.
On Tuesday, Raila hosted Sakaja and ODM-allied MCAs in a closed-door meeting where he persuaded them to put the motion on hold.
Nairobi County ODM Chairperson George Aladwa later confirmed that the governor had apologized and admitted to the accusations raised by the MCAs.
Aladwa explained that the decision to suspend the ouster bid was made to give Sakaja one month to change his leadership style and resolve the differences with the Assembly.
He noted that the ODM MCAs agreed to step back for the sake of unity and development in Nairobi.
The meeting lasted nearly four hours with both sides agreeing that constant political fights would hurt Nairobi residents.
Aladwa stressed that the governor had been asked to address bursary delays, the stalled Ward Development Fund, and other grievances raised by the Assembly.
At the same time, President Ruto met UDA MCAs at State House where he cautioned them against pushing for Sakaja’s removal. Sources revealed that the Head of State urged his party members to give dialogue a chance instead of fueling further division.
Reports had earlier indicated that over 70 signatures had been collected from both ODM and UDA camps. This was close to the 82 signatures required to table an official impeachment motion in the 123-member Assembly.
The accusations against Sakaja included failure to meet campaign promises, neglect of ward needs, and ignoring key priorities in the capital. The push for impeachment was gaining ground until the last-minute intervention by the two national leaders.
Veteran politicians and ODM MPs were also present at the Bomas meeting chaired by Raila. Their involvement underscored the seriousness of the matter and the need to avoid unnecessary clashes that could destabilize Nairobi.
With the motion now on hold, Sakaja has a limited window to prove his leadership and rebuild trust with MCAs.
The coming weeks will determine whether the governor can mend ties or if the impeachment storm will resurface after the one-month grace period.
