Nairobi’s political space has been shaken after Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga launched attack on her brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and President William Ruto, accusing them of interfering to block the impeachment of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Ruth’s remarks have exposed rare cracks within the Odinga family and the ODM party while sparking a broader national conversation on devolution, political accountability, and the role of Members of County Assembly (MCAs) in holding governors to account.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ruth Odinga made her disappointment clear. “I’m disappointed that Nairobi MCAs did not go on with the impeachment of Sakaja. One of the main tenets of devolution is that MCAs are oversighters of the county government. The fact that they declared no confidence in the governor should have been recognised, and nothing should have been done to stop them,” she said.
The impeachment bid against Sakaja had gathered momentum, with ODM and UDA MCAs uniting to collect more than 70 signatures slightly below 82 required to formally table the motion. Their demands included delays in bursary disbursements, a collapsed Ward Development Fund, unfulfilled campaign promises, and what they termed as Sakaja’s neglect of residents’ priorities.
However, the process was abruptly halted after high-level interventions. On September 2, Raila Odinga hosted Sakaja and ODM-allied MCAs at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation (JOOF), convincing them to suspend the ouster for one month. Nairobi ODM chair George Aladwa later confirmed that Sakaja apologised to the MCAs and pledged to fix his mistakes.
Meanwhile, President Ruto held a parallel meeting at State House with UDA MCAs, where he urged them not to support the impeachment. His intervention, together with Raila’s, effectively stalled the process.
To Ruth Odinga, these interventions undermined the spirit of accountability. “They should have been allowed to go through with the petition. If they felt wronged, they should have impeached him and sent him to the Senate. To stop the process, when there were already grievances, was very disappointing,” she said.
She further accused Nairobi MCAs of betraying their constituents by succumbing to political pressure. “They should have upheld the tenet of devolution that states MCAs are in charge of oversighting the governor. The MCAs of Nairobi have let down the people of Nairobi,” she declared.
While Raila and Ruto’s interventions may have averted a political showdown in Nairobi, Ruth’s bold stand has revived public anger and placed Sakaja under renewed scrutiny. The demands against him remain unresolved, and Nairobi residents now wait to see if the governor will use the one-month reprieve to deliver on his promises.
For Ruth Odinga, the matter is bigger than politics. Her criticism indicates a central question: should political deals override constitutional safeguards meant to protect devolution and accountability?
