Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Tuesday, March 31, met the Senate leadership as well as members of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), bringing an end to hours of uncertainty after police had earlier been searching for him over his failure to attend a previous session.
In a statement, Sakaja explained that he chose to personally drive to Parliament as a sign of good faith and readiness to cooperate with Senate committees.
At the same time, he urged for dialogue to resolve the ongoing dispute between the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Senate.
"I came to the Senate to meet the leadership and members of the committee. First, I am a law-abiding citizen. I have appeared before these committees many times six times this year alone and about ten times last year. I have even responded to audit queries dating back to 2015, including those from my predecessors," he said.
Sakaja defended his earlier absence from CPAC, stating that it followed guidance issued by the CoG, which had raised concerns about alleged intimidation and extortion involving certain members of the committee.
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"When the CoG raised issues regarding that specific committee, we were guided that those concerns be resolved first. Accountability is important, but it must be undertaken in the right way," he added.
Sakaja further indicated that the standoff extends beyond Nairobi, noting that several governors had been summoned by the same committee, with many opting not to attend, while those who did refrained from engaging on substantive matters in solidarity with the CoG’s stance.
Sakaja revealed that he has been in communication with both Senate and CoG leadership in a bid to ease tensions and chart a way forward.
"I have spoken to the Speaker of the Senate, the Chair of the Council of Governors, and my fellow governors. We need to resolve these issues so that we can be held accountable as required by the Senate," he further said.
Sakaja also took issue with what he described as efforts to single him out, arguing that the situation had been unnecessarily dramatized.
"It is wrong to single out one county or one governor. The drama we are seeing is not fair. The CoG is an institution just like the Senate let the two institutions resolve the matter collectively," he stated.
Sakaja said he remains willing to appear before the committee once the concerns raised between the two institutions are settled.
"I have appeared before the committee before and I will continue to do so. All we want is for the issues between the CoG and the Senate to be resolved.
"Who is in the office at 7pm? They were looking for me, yet I am here at the Senate as required. I have no problem with the Senate. There is just an issue that needs to be resolved. I have nothing to run away from," he said.
Elsewhere, earlier Tuesday, the Council of Governors (CoG) has demanded the withdrawal of any arrest warrants or coercive actions targeting governors.
CoG Chairperson, Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, made the remarks on Tuesday, March 31, following the attempted arrest of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
"We demand the immediate withdrawal of the alleged warrants of arrests, if any, or any coercive measures against governors pending an impartial determination of this matter," he said.
Abdullahi further called on the police leadership to exercise caution and ensure that any actions taken are based on verified facts rather than external influence.
"Additionally, we urge the Office of the Inspector General of Police to establish the veracity of matters to avoid miscarriage of justice or to be used to perpetuate political and personal interests," he added.
