Senate Panel Orders IG Kanja to Produce Sakaja Before Committee After Missing Summons
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), chaired by Moses Kajwang, ordered that Sakaja be presented before the panel on Monday, March 30, warning of severe constitutional consequences if he fails to comply.
“We are asking the IG to produce Governor Sakaja before us on Monday, March 30. The distance between the IG’s office and City Hall is not the distance between IG’s office and Samburu, so the IG should not give us excuses,” Kajwang stated, underscoring the expectation of immediate compliance.
The senator added that failure by the police chief to present the governor could trigger further action by the Senate, including recommendations that Sakaja is unfit to hold public office.
“In case he fails to appear on Monday, we can take a recommendation to the House against that governor that we find them in a gross violation of the Constitution and therefore not fit to hold public office,” he warned.
Such a resolution, the committee indicated, would be forwarded to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for consideration.
In addition to the ultimatum, CPAC imposed a fine of KSh500,000 on the governor — the maximum penalty allowed under the law — for ignoring the Senate summons.
“We propose to impose a fine of KSh500,000, the maximum allowed by the law, on the Governor of Nairobi for failing to honour our summons,” the committee announced during the proceedings.
Lawmakers said they require Sakaja’s direct response to audit concerns raised by the Office of the Auditor-General regarding county expenditures and governance practices.
During the session, committee members also revealed that the governor had appointed at least seven advisors, each reportedly earning an average monthly salary of about KSh203,000 — a figure that raised questions about wage bill sustainability and prudent use of public funds.
Because of Sakaja’s absence, the committee resolved that it may adopt the Auditor-General’s report in its current form, which flags Nairobi County for alleged irregularities and possible misappropriation of public resources.
“If the governor chooses not to appear before this committee, then we will go with the Auditor General’s report as is because it is a report that has been procured and processed by a constitutional body,” Kajwang added.
Sakaja has missed several previous appearances before the Senate panel, though on some occasions he formally requested rescheduling, citing official commitments.
County leaders argued that the oversight process had increasingly undermined the dignity of elected officials, while senators maintained that strict scrutiny is necessary to safeguard public funds.
Political analysts say the outcome of the Sakaja case could set a precedent for future relations between county executives and the Senate, particularly regarding enforcement of summons and constitutional accountability.
As the March 30 deadline approaches, attention now turns to whether police will enforce the committee’s directive and whether the governor will appear to defend his administration’s financial management.
For Nairobi residents, the high-stakes showdown underscores the broader question of transparency and stewardship of county resources — issues that directly affect service delivery in Kenya’s capital
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Senate Panel Orders IG Kanja to Produce Sakaja Before Committee After Missing Summons
