Police have launched a search for Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja following recommendations by a Senate watchdog committee over alleged contempt of Parliament.
The operation began on Monday evening, March 30, with officers camping outside City Hall in the CBD, although initial attempts to locate the governor were unsuccessful. Reports indicate Sakaja may have left his office before police arrived after learning of the planned arrest.
According to Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud, the operation was triggered by a directive from the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), which had ordered Inspector General Douglas Kanja to present Sakaja before it by the same day. The committee, chaired by Moses Kajwang, had also fined the governor KSh 500,000 for failing to honour its summons, warning that failure to appear could lead to a declaration that he is unfit to hold public office.
The standoff stems from an audit report highlighting alleged irregularities and misuse of public funds within Nairobi County, including claims that Sakaja appointed seven advisors earning KSh 203,000 each monthly. His absence prompted the committee to adopt the Auditor General’s report as presented. Meanwhile, similar summons have been issued to Samburu Governor Jonathan Lati Lelelit as scrutiny over county administrations intensifies.
