Sakaja granted 60-day breather as Ruto, Raila intervene in Nairobi standoff

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja secured a temporary reprieve on Tuesday after President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga separately engaged Nairobi MCAs to suspend plans to impeach him.

The leaders urged the county boss to put his house in order and address concerns that had sparked the move, giving him a window to act before the assembly resumes the motion.

The political intervention followed parallel meetings on Tuesday, one hosted by the United Democratic Alliance at State House and another convened by ODM at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation Center.

Both sessions aimed to ease tensions between Governor Sakaja and the county assembly, whose members had grown increasingly frustrated over alleged governance issues in Nairobi.

At State House, President Ruto chaired a session with MCAs, giving them space to air their grievances freely.

Participants said the President listened attentively and asked that they allow him two months to address the concerns.

Governor Sakaja was not invited to the meeting but is scheduled to attend a follow-up session on Wednesday, where both sides are expected to present their issues directly.

“We are meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) with the President and the governor so that in his presence, both sides can highlight the issues. From the concerns we raised, the President asked us to give him 60 days to address them,” said Nairobi South MCA Waithera Chege, who also serves as Deputy Minority Leader.

Chege stressed that the impeachment motion has only been suspended, not withdrawn, signaling that the assembly is keeping pressure on the county leadership.

“The impeachment still stands but we have agreed not to table it immediately. If the issues we raised are not addressed within 60 days, then we will proceed with the motion,” she said.