NAIROBI, KENYA— Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is facing the threat of arrest after failing to appear before a Senate committee for nearly seven months without explanation.
The Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights has issued a final summons directing the governor to appear on May 7 to respond to questions over alleged unlawful evictions in Old Ngara in 2025.
Committee chair Hillary Sigei warns that failure to comply will result in the committee instructing Douglas Kanja to arrest and present the governor before the Senate.
“We have written to the governor twice and waited seven months without so much as a reason for his absence. This committee will not be ignored,” Sigei states.
“I want it on record, this is the final summons. The governor must appear before us on May 7. If he fails… we will instruct the Inspector General of Police to facilitate his arrest,” he adds.
The matter stems from a statement filed in October 2025 by nominated senator Catherine Mumma, raising concerns over alleged forceful evictions in Old Ngara Estate on May 14 and June 18, 2025.
According to the petition, the evictions were carried out despite a court conservatory order issued on May 30, 2025.
Affidavits presented to the committee allege that county officials, accompanied by unidentified individuals, broke into homes, destroyed property, and forcibly evicted tenants while the court order was still in force.
Committee member Veronica Maina supports the directive, stressing the need for accountability and warning that sanctions will follow if the governor fails to comply.
“The Inspector General of Police should be put on notice to facilitate compliance just in case the governor does not show up,” she says.
The development comes weeks after a separate arrest notice was issued against Sakaja by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee over a similar failure to honour summons.
Police reportedly surrounded the governor’s office on March 30 in an attempt to effect the arrest but did not find him at the time.
The latest move escalates tensions between the Senate and the Nairobi County leadership as pressure mounts for accountability over the eviction claims.