Nairobi County Assembly members have launched a fresh campaign to remove Governor Johnson Sakaja from office, months after their previous attempt failed.
Kileleshwa Ward Representative Robert Alai is leading the group of MCAs behind this new ouster bid. The lawmakers accuse the governor of mismanaging the county and ignoring the people’s representatives.
The controversy surrounding a recently signed Sh80 billion cooperation agreement between Nairobi County and President William Ruto’s administration has intensified the situation. Critics of the deal argue that Sakaja surrendered the county’s autonomy and independence to the national government.
Alai noted that the group has already collected 55 signatures and needs only 42 more to officially start the removal process.
“We already have 55 signatures. We need only 42 signatures to ensure that the motion is presented before the county assembly. I think we have enough numbers. The threshold has already been hit. By next week, we will file the motion to remove the governor of Nairobi,” Alai said.
A separate faction of ward representatives has supported the governor, particularly backing his partnership with President Ruto.
In a joint statement issued on February 19, 2026, led by Anthony Kiragu of Waithaka and Minority Leader Lawrence Odhiambo, the MCAs dismissed rumors of an impeachment plot against Sakaja. They urged residents to stay focused on the city’s development goals.
The legislators noted that the agreement will inject an additional Sh80 billion into Nairobi’s growth, specifically for infrastructure, urban renewal, and essential services. They pointed out that Nairobi functions on an estimated Sh40 billion budget while serving over seven million people, a sum that falls far short of municipal budgets in global hubs like Paris and New York.
“These examples show that collaboration between city administrations and national governments is a practical approach to urban growth,” the statement said.
This latest push comes five months after the MCAs shelved a separate impeachment bid against Sakaja.
That earlier bid failed when President William Ruto and the late ODM leader, Raila Odinga, intervened to de-escalate the situation.
In September 2025, both leaders held separate meetings with their respective lawmakers, effectively saving the governor and protecting him from removal. They encouraged officials to stop the political posturing and focus their efforts on dialogue and serving the public instead.