Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is facing growing pressure over how he is running the county government, with fresh questions emerging about his decision to appoint seven advisors.
The matter came up during a Senate session where lawmakers raised concerns that the roles of these advisors appear to overlap with those of existing county officials.
The issue was discussed as the Senate County Public Accounts Committee reviewed findings from the Office of the Auditor-General Kenya report for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.
Senators questioned whether the appointments were necessary, especially given that each county department already has a County Executive Committee member and a chief officer responsible for its operations.
Committee chair Moses Kajwang’ openly challenged the decision, arguing that governors are expected to work within established structures.
He pointed out that having multiple advisors in areas already managed by senior officials raises doubts about efficiency and accountability. His remarks suggested concern that key responsibilities may be shifting away from those formally tasked with delivering services.
Edwin Sifuna supported these concerns and drew attention to the financial impact. He noted that the advisors earn an average monthly salary of about Ksh 203,000 each, bringing the total cost to roughly Ksh 9.7 million.
In a county that continues to face budget constraints and service delivery challenges, the spending has raised questions about priorities.
The governor’s absence from the Senate session added to the tension. Kajwang’ warned that failure by governors to appear before oversight committees could lead to serious consequences.
He indicated that if leaders do not provide explanations, audit findings may be treated as accurate and forwarded to investigative agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Beyond the Senate concerns, Sakaja’s administration is also under public pressure following recent floods that caused deaths and displacement across Nairobi. Residents have questioned the county’s preparedness and response, adding to the scrutiny on leadership decisions.
At the same time, debate continues around a proposed Ksh 80 billion cooperation agreement between the county and the national government. While Sakaja has defended the plan as necessary to improve infrastructure and services, critics argue that the process moved too quickly and lacked enough public participation.
