Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja recently faced a significant challenge to his leadership as a section of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MCAs initiated an impeachment process against him. The legislators had successfully collected enough signatures to trigger Sakaja’s removal, accusing him of failing to deliver essential services, mismanaging county resources, and sidelining elected leaders in crucial decision-making processes.

In response to this escalating tension within the City Assembly, the ODM party, which commands a majority, convened a critical closed-door meeting. This high-stakes deliberation was attended by influential figures including ODM leader Raila Odinga, veteran politician Fred Gumo, and city legislators. Chaired by Makadara MP George Aladwa, the five-hour meeting aimed to address the grievances of the MCAs and find a resolution to the looming political crisis.

According to Aladwa, dialogue ultimately prevailed. He stated that Governor Sakaja had the opportunity to defend himself against the accusations and subsequently apologized to the MCAs, promising to address their concerns within a month. Aladwa emphasized that the decision to suspend the impeachment motion was a product of collective reasoning and that no MCA was coerced into dropping the process. He lauded the party leader, Raila Odinga, for his role in de-escalating the situation and fostering an open expression of concerns among the ward representatives.

However, a conflicting narrative emerged shortly after, casting a shadow over the official account. Several Nairobi MCAs subsequently claimed that they were, in fact, threatened and coerced into shelving the impeachment attempt against Governor Johnson Sakaja. These allegations directly contradict the earlier statements about collective reasoning and uncoerced decision-making, suggesting a more forceful intervention behind the scenes to secure the governor's position.

The immediate outcome of these events grants Governor Sakaja a one-month window to rectify the issues raised by the MCAs. This episode also underscores the enduring influence of Raila Odinga in Nairobi’s ODM politics, highlighting how internal party rifts, despite claims of dialogue and consensus, can be managed, albeit under varying accounts of how such resolutions are reached.