NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 2 – When Johnson Arthur Sakaja swept into office in August 2022, he was the fresh face Nairobians thought would finally change City Hall’s fortunes.
Young, stylish, and branded as the “cool kid of politics,” Sakaja embodied charm, confidence, and promise.
He defeated his closest rival Polycarp Igathe despite a storm of controversy around his university degree.
For many, it was a Cinderella story of a hustler who rose from student politics at the University of Nairobi to become governor of the country’s capital.
Three years later, the shine is gone.
Sakaja now stands at the edge of impeachment, branded incompetent, corrupt, and out of touch.
The same man who campaigned on fixing water shortages, improving drainage, giving bursaries to needy students, and funding ward projects, is today accused of failing in nearly every one of those promises.
The latest Infotrak CountryTrak survey in February 2025 ranked Sakaja a dismal 37 out of 47 governors.
A separate study showed that 57 percent of Nairobi residents believe the county is on the wrong track, citing corruption, pollution, endless traffic jams worsened by bad roads.
Once celebrated as the future of Nairobi politics, Sakaja now finds himself in the company of former governors like Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko, both hounded out of office after chaotic tenures.
– Impeachment charges against Sakaja –
Nairobi MCAs have drafted more than 20 charges against Sakaja and his deputy James Muchiri.
The accusations range from financial misconduct, mismanagement of public health services, failure to disburse bursaries, stalled Ward Development Fund projects, and persistent water shortages.
“Governor Sakaja has betrayed the trust of Nairobians,” One MCA who spoke on condition of anonymity told Capital News. “We are building a movement of 100 strong MCAs to ensure he exits office.”
By September 1, 2025, over 70 MCAs had signed the impeachment motion well above the required threshold.
Both ODM and UDA ward reps have united in rare bipartisan fashion, signalling that Sakaja’s days at City Hall may be numbered.
What makes the impeachment saga even juicier is the Raila Odinga factor.
Traditionally, when Sakaja clashed with the County Assembly, he would run to Raila for protection and survive.
But this time, even Raila’s intervention may not be enough.
On Friday, Raila summoned Nairobi Speaker Ken Ngondi, ODM leaders, and Sakaja himself for tense talks, urging dialogue instead of removal.
But by Monday, MCAs openly defied him, insisting the impeachment was a “members-only process.”
The public defiance has raised eyebrows.
Is Raila losing his iron grip over Nairobi politics? Or have MCAs simply had enough of Sakaja’s leadership?
– From cool kid to “failed Governor”
Sakaja’s downfall feels almost Shakespearean, the rise of a young star cut down by his own hubris.
From nominated MP in 2013, to Senator in 2017, to Governor in 2022, he seemed unstoppable.
His flashy lifestyle and charisma made him a media darling.
But governance, Nairobians are learning again, is not about charm.
It is about competence. And here, Sakaja has failed.
Audit reports have flagged shady recruitments at City Hall.
Promised bursaries and water reforms never materialised.
Drainage problems and garbage mountains remain.
To his critics, Sakaja has become the very symbol of broken promises.
If the ward representatives make good their intention, the impeachment process will move to debate and, if passed, to the Senate for trial.
It is here that Sakaja’s political survival may depend once more on Raila’s influence or even his UDA party leader President William Ruto.
But on the streets of Nairobi, many residents already feel betrayed.
“We thought Sakaja was different,” said Mary Atieno, a shopkeeper in Eastlands. “But he is just like the rest.”
Whether he survives impeachment or not, Sakaja’s fall from golden boy to political pariah is a reminder of a painful truth that Nairobians may be good at electing dreamers, but dreamers often turn out to be disappointments.
