Sakaja Faces Possible Arrest After Ignoring Senate Summons for Months
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is now under renewed pressure from the Senate after failing to appear before a key committee for close to seven months. Lawmakers have warned that he could be arrested if he continues to ignore their summons.
The Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights has issued what it describes as a final notice, ordering the governor to appear before it on May 7.
The committee wants Sakaja to answer serious questions surrounding alleged unlawful evictions that took place in Old Ngara in 2025.
Committee chair Hillary Sigei made it clear on Thursday, April 23, that the Senate will no longer tolerate delays or silence from the governor.
According to Sigei, Sakaja has been summoned multiple times but has failed to respond or provide any explanation for his absence, something the committee now views as disrespectful and unacceptable.
Sigei emphasized that the upcoming summons is the last opportunity for the governor to comply. He warned that if Sakaja fails to appear on the set date, the committee will take decisive action by directing Douglas Kanja, the Inspector General of Police, to arrest him and present him before the Senate.
The issue dates back to October 2025, when nominated senator Catherine Mumma formally raised concerns about alleged forced evictions in Old Ngara Estate. The senator reported that residents were removed from their homes on May 14 and again on June 18, despite an existing court order that had temporarily stopped any eviction process.
According to the details presented to the committee, the evictions were carried out in a manner that has raised serious legal and human rights concerns.
Affidavits submitted indicate that county officials, working alongside unidentified individuals, allegedly forced their way into houses, destroyed property, looted personal belongings, and evicted tenants.
All this is said to have happened while a court-issued conservatory order, granted on May 30, 2025, was still in effect.
Members of the committee have stressed the need for accountability, noting that such actions, if proven true, would amount to a clear violation of the law and disregard for court authority.
They insist that Sakaja must personally appear to clarify what happened and explain the role of the county government in the matter.
Committee member Veronica Maina supported the move to issue a final summons, saying the Senate must assert its authority.
She added that the Inspector General of Police should already be prepared to step in and enforce compliance if the governor fails to show up as required.
This latest development comes just weeks after another Senate committee, the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), had also recommended Sakaja’s arrest over a separate matter.
Following that directive, police officers surrounded the governor’s office on March 30 in an attempt to carry out the arrest. However, Sakaja was not present at the time, and the operation did not succeed.
With pressure now mounting from multiple Senate committees, the situation places Sakaja in a difficult position.
Lawmakers are signaling that continued defiance will not be tolerated, and that stronger enforcement measures—including arrest—are now firmly on the table if he fails to cooperate.
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