Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has pushed back against plans to have him arrested, terming the move unnecessary and calling for dialogue to resolve the standoff between the Senate and county governments.
Speaking on Monday evening, the governor maintained that the issue surrounding his failure to appear before a Senate watchdog committee is not a personal matter but part of a wider institutional disagreement involving the Council of Governors.
The development follows a directive issued after the Senate committee fined Sakaja Ksh500,000 and ordered his arrest over alleged failure to honour a summons.
However, Sakaja argued that the decision does not take into account an ongoing dispute between governors and the Senate, which has seen members of the Council of Governors suspend appearances before certain oversight committees.
“The issue at hand is not about one individual governor but a collective position taken by the Council of Governors,” he said, emphasising that the matter should be handled through structured engagement rather than punitive action.
The governor further criticised what he termed as selective enforcement, noting that several governors had been summoned on the same day but only a few complied, yet action appeared to target him.
He insisted that he has consistently engaged with Senate processes, pointing out that he has appeared before multiple committees, including the Lands and Environment Committee, and has regularly responded to audit queries raised by the County Public Accounts Committee.
“It is misleading to single out one governor in a matter that is consultative in nature,” Sakaja said.
At the same time, he warned that attempts to escalate the situation through arrest threats risk worsening tensions between the Senate and county governments, which could undermine the spirit of devolution.
The governor instead called for calm and dialogue, urging all parties to prioritise institutional engagement to resolve the impasse.
“I have always honoured invitations to appear before Senate committees and remain committed to doing so within the law,” he added.
The standoff highlights growing friction between the Senate and governors over oversight roles, with questions emerging over how disputes between the two levels of leadership should be handled.
Sakaja’s remarks now shift focus to whether both sides will opt for dialogue or continue with hardline positions that could further strain relations within the devolved system of governance.
