Sakaja, expected to be a key witness in the Senate trial, was listed by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi among the National Assembly’s witnesses.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was a surprise absentee at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, October 16. He was arguably the most popular witness who was to testify against the second in command.
Sakaja, expected to be a key witness in the Senate trial, was listed by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi among the National Assembly’s witnesses. However, he was nowhere near Parliament when the session kicked off.
Viral Tea has since authoritatively learnt that the county boss flew out of the country to Mexico to attend the 2024 Bloomberg CityLab. As revealed by Bloomberg, Sakaja was invited to discuss what cities can learn from putting young people at the heart of decision-making.
Bloomberg CityLab is a premier global summit organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies in collaboration with the Aspen Institute to explore solutions to urban challenges, focusing on local innovations with global implications.
Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja at the Bloomberg CityLab. /NAIROBI LEO
The summit in Mexico City which ended on Wednesday brought together over 500 participants to discuss pressing issues like climate change, infrastructure, and social justice.
“Later today, Bloomberg CityLab reporter Fola Akinnibi will join Governor H.E. Sakaja Arthur Johnson of Nairobi, Kenya, to talk about what cities can learn from putting young people at the heart of decision-making,” the event programme read.
Moreover, Sakaja accused Gachagua of using ethnic sentiments to disrupt efforts to reorganise traffic within Nairobi, particularly in relocating matatu terminals. He argued that such actions undermined the county government’s mandate and questioned the integrity of devolution in Kenya.
Sakaja’s affidavit also criticised Gachagua’s alleged meddling in county functions, specifically in liquor control regulation. He labelled the Deputy President’s actions as “reckless” and “demeaning,” adding that they amounted to impeachable offences by eroding the authority of county governments.
A snippet posted by Bloomberg later in the day showed Sakaja sharing insights about Nairobi’s subsidised meals programme, a topic far removed from the heated discussions at the Senate.
While reports indicated that the trip to Mexico was planned and could not have been a last-minute decision to withdraw, the trip’s timing raised several questions on whether there were other decisions behind his reason not to testify.
Sakaja was among six witnesses called by the National Assembly to testify in Gachagua’s impeachment hearing in the Senate. Among the witnesses, only two have testified, Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse and former KEMSA Acting CEO Andrew Mulwa, with two others expected to testify today.
The lawyers representing the National Assembly, who were responsible for tossing out Gachagua, will have an uphill task to get the Senate to uphold the impeachment against the former Mathira MP, given that Gachagua’s lawyers had a field day against Mutuse, leaving the lawmaker struggling to justify the 11 charges against Gachagua.
Collage image of MP Mwengi Mutuse and lawyer Elisha Ongoya. /PARLIAMENT KENYA.VIRAL TEA KE