The political landscape in Nairobi was recently rocked by a significant impeachment attempt against Governor Arthur Johnson Sakaja, spearheaded by Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai and a coalition of Nairobi MCAs. Alai, at a press conference, launched a scathing attack, accusing Governor Sakaja of presiding over a capital city government in collapse and announcing the initiation of impeachment proceedings. The core of the accusation centered on what Alai described as failed leadership, asserting that "the fish has rotted from the head" and that the governor had been unresponsive to concerns, offering only "excuses, too busy, unavailable, or unwilling to listen."

Specific failures cited by the MCAs included a severe decline in basic service delivery, with rampant uncollected garbage and deteriorating infrastructure across the city. Alai directly blamed Governor Sakaja for residents not receiving adequate value for their taxes and rates. Furthermore, serious allegations were made concerning public health, with Sakaja accused of privatizing crucial county government functions, such as vaccinations and food safety certificates, which were allegedly being handled by private health providers. The poor state of public hospitals was also presented as evidence of systemic neglect. Businesses, too, were reportedly suffering under the governor's administration, prompting calls for efficient service delivery to benefit landlords and tenants alike.

The impeachment motion quickly gained traction, with the Nairobi County Assembly drawing up more than 20 charges against Sakaja, encompassing issues from service delivery failures to questionable management practices. Alai confirmed that the motion swiftly surpassed the minimum threshold of 42 signatures, with the goal set to reach 100 signatures to demonstrate overwhelming support. He emphasized that this initiative was strictly member-driven, free from external influence by contractors, private individuals, or political forces, portraying it as a "whole-house initiative" with rare dissent among MCAs. The MCAs vowed to table the motion once the 100-signature mark was achieved, declaring a collective push to restore order and accountability in Nairobi’s governance, with Alai bluntly stating, "This Nairobi must go back to order. This garbage must be removed in Nairobi. Sakaja must go."

However, the impeachment process faced a significant turn when the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MCAs, who constitute the majority in the City Assembly, agreed to suspend the motion. This decision followed a critical closed-door meeting attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga, veteran politician Fred Gumo, and Makadara MP George Aladwa. The five-hour deliberation allowed all parties to air their grievances, during which Governor Sakaja defended himself and issued an apology to the MCAs, promising to address their concerns within a month. Makadara MP Aladwa confirmed that despite having collected sufficient signatures, dialogue prevailed, and the mover of the motion was requested to suspend it, giving the governor time to work. Aladwa credited Raila Odinga for "cooling the tides" and bringing the MCAs together, stressing that no MCA was coerced into dropping the impeachment, presenting it as a product of collective reasoning. This outcome underscored Raila’s enduring influence in ODM's Nairobi politics, where internal rifts had threatened county leadership stability.

Despite the official narrative of collective reasoning, some Nairobi MCAs later came forward, alleging that they were threatened and coerced into shelving the impeachment attempt against Governor Sakaja.

The intervention expanded beyond party lines, with both President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga stepping in to temporarily halt the impeachment motion. MCAs from both the ruling UDA party and the opposition ODM had united in their efforts to oust the governor, citing grievances over being sidelined in key decisions, lack of consultation on development projects, and concerns regarding the allocation and use of ward development funds and student bursaries. President Ruto met with UDA MCAs, urging them to collaborate with Governor Sakaja and emphasizing that an impeachment would disrupt essential service delivery in the city. Similarly, Raila Odinga's intervention led to ODM ward representatives agreeing to a 30-day suspension of their plans.

In response to the grievances, Governor Sakaja publicly pledged to cultivate a more collaborative relationship with the county assembly, committing to involve MCAs in county governance consultations. He also provided details on financial allocations, stating that Sh1 billion had been designated for bursaries in the 2022-2023 financial year, benefiting over 119,000 students.

Beyond the immediate political stability, the high-level interventions by Ruto and Raila were driven by several strategic considerations. There was a significant concern about the risk of triggering disruptive by-election campaigns in Nairobi if both the governor and his deputy were removed, which analysts warned could destabilize city and national politics. Furthermore, an ouster was feared to provoke a political showdown with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who might exploit such a scenario to reassert influence and position himself for the 2027 succession battles. Leaders within the Kenya Kwanza–Azimio unity framework also expressed unease that critics could use the crisis to undermine the broad-based unity pact, portraying it as fractured and ineffective. The joint decision by President Ruto and Raila Odinga to save Governor Sakaja thus highlights a delicate political balancing act, aimed at maintaining Nairobi's political stability while managing national alliances and the evolving 2027 political landscape. The coming weeks are deemed crucial to determine if this truce will hold and if the governor's promised inclusive approach will resolve the dissent within the county assembly.