Sakaja Faces Possible 6-Month Jail Term Over Alleged Court Order Disobedience
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja is now facing a potential six-month jail sentence after a contempt of court application was filed against him and several senior county officials.
The case stems from allegations that the county government has failed to obey a court order issued earlier regarding the appointment of a County Secretary.
On Thursday, April 16, the petitioners went back to court seeking enforcement of a previous High Court judgment delivered on December 5, 2025.
In that ruling, the court found that Nairobi County had unreasonably delayed the recruitment and appointment of a County Secretary, leaving the office vacant for an extended period.
The petitioners argue that this position has remained unfilled for years, reportedly since around 2018, raising concerns about governance and accountability in Nairobi City County.
The High Court had issued a mandatory order (mandamus), directing the governor to begin a competitive recruitment process within 60 days and subsequently forward a nominee to the County Assembly within 30 days after the process.
However, the applicants claim that these instructions have not been followed, and no substantive County Secretary has been appointed despite the clear court directive.
Because of this alleged non-compliance, the petitioners are now asking the court to cite Governor Sakaja for contempt of court.
Through their lawyer, they want the court to summon him to appear personally, punish him for disobedience, and possibly commit him to civil jail for up to six months. They also want the court to force immediate compliance with the recruitment process as originally ordered.
They argue that ignoring a court order weakens the authority of the judiciary and goes against constitutional principles such as the rule of law, accountability, and good governance.
According to them, allowing the situation to continue would encourage disregard for court decisions and undermine public trust in county leadership.
The court has already received the application and has scheduled it for mention on April 28, meaning the matter will be reviewed again on that date for further directions.
This case also adds to a growing list of legal challenges involving the Nairobi governor. Earlier in January, Sakaja was also linked to another contempt-related matter where he was accused of failing to implement a collective bargaining agreement with county workers.
In that case, the Kenya County Government Workers’ Union sought orders to have him and other officials jailed for non-compliance.
Separately, there have also been past tensions involving attempts to compel his appearance before oversight bodies.
In one notable incident, police reportedly surrounded City Hall on March 30 in an effort to enforce his appearance before a Senate committee after he allegedly failed to respond to multiple summons.
For now, the latest court application will determine whether the governor and his administration will be compelled to comply with the earlier ruling—or whether further legal consequences, including possible imprisonment for contempt, may follow.
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