Rift between Sakaja and Nairobi MCAs beyond repair – Alai affirms
By David Nthua, September 4, 2025Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai, alongside his colleague from Karen Ward, Antony Maragu, on Thursday, September 4, 2025, revealed that the relationship between Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) is broken beyond repair.
Speaking in Nairobi, Alai accused Governor Sakaja of deliberately avoiding City Hall, which he said has created unnecessary friction with elected leaders.
According to him, the Governor has chosen to operate from a private office in Riverside instead of his official seat of power.
“Gavana Sakaja alikataa kufanya kazi katika ofisi yake rasmi ya City Hall, hivyo basi inakua ngumu kuwasiliana naye au kumpata unapohitaji kusuluhisha masuala. Governor anafanya kazi River Side. Ako na private office,” Alai stated.
Disputes over PPP projects
The Kileleshwa MCA further faulted Sakaja for pushing major development projects through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) without involving the Nairobi County Assembly as required.
“Sakaja anafanya mambo mengi kupitia Public Private Partership PPP ambayo inapaswa kupitia katika Mbunge la Nairobi.
“Mambo ya Jevanjee Gardens na pia Woodley housing scheme haikupitia bunge letu. Mambo mengi sana haijapitia Mbunge,” he said, insisting that oversight has been bypassed.
Alai argued that the continued sidelining of MCAs undermines transparency and accountability in county governance, making it difficult for elected leaders to engage constructively with the Governor.
Maragu defends stalled impeachment.
On his part, Karen Ward, MCA Antony Maragu, explained why the impeachment motion against Governor Sakaja did not proceed as initially planned.
“Ili tusitishe hoja ya kumtimua Gavana Sakaja, ni kwa vile tumejaribu njia zingine zote,” Maragu said, suggesting that MCAs had held back to give dialogue a chance.
The remarks by the two Nairobi leaders come barely days after Sakaja survived an impeachment scare, following behind-the-scenes negotiations led by President William Ruto and ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga. Political analysts say the truce bought the Governor more time but has not healed the rift between City Hall and the Assembly.
As the standoff continues, residents of Nairobi remain anxious about the delivery of key services, including healthcare, housing and urban renewal, which have been caught up in the political stalemate.