Drama as Sifuna, Onyonka walk out as Sakaja is interrogated in a heated session

The Senate was thrown into chaos on Monday, November 24, 2025, as Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his counterpart from Kisii, Richard Onyonka, walked out of a committee meeting while questioning Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja over the city’s financial management and banking arrangements.

The tense standoff unfolded during a session of the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations intended to scrutinise the county’s choice of banks and its handling of public funds.

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Sifuna and Onyonka pressed Governor Sakaja for evidence to justify the selection of certain banking institutions, questioning whether the decisions were purely administrative or influenced by connections. The senators demanded documentation to show that the county was receiving the best possible deal and that public money was secure.

The confrontation escalated when nominated Senator Margaret Jepkoech Kamar intervened, prompting further tension. “We cannot allow the Senator of Nairobi to divert us from our agenda. As a committee chair, can you guide us so we can complete our agenda? Chair, I don’t think anybody in this committee should be a gatekeeper for anybody. We are here to get the facts, and the facts will set us free,” Kamar said during the session.

Before walking out, Sifuna and Onyonka insisted that the committee remain focused on Nairobi’s financial management rather than broad policy debates or interference from other senators.

“This is about transparency and accountability in Nairobi. We cannot allow anyone to divert this committee from its mandate,” Sifuna said before walking out with Onyonka, leaving the committee temporarily stalled.

Governor Sakaja defended his decisions, emphasising that all banking arrangements were legal, administrative, and aimed at ensuring efficiency, particularly for salary payments and other county operations.

He maintained that the county followed the law and had considered multiple banking options before finalising arrangements, and offered to provide documentation to support the decisions.