City MCAs say 'Sakaja is ignoring us'

There is a looming crisis at City Hall as the county crossed into another Financial Year without a substantial budget in what has been linked to a fallout between Governor Johnson Sakaja and Members of County Assembly. 

It was expected by end of June, the MCAs would have approved the budget but on Tuesday, the Ward Reps said there were unanswered questions in the document, adding that the county boss has ignored them.

Even so, experts argue there is a leeway for county to operate with the last budget under the vote count, but some leaders argue that development projects in the Wards and the larger county could stall until their differences are ironed out.

“We have never been called to a special sitting by the government to do a budget because that’s a government document. If they are ready, they could have called the assembly to call a special sitting to pass the budget,” Majority Leader Peter Imwatok said.

Adding, “The county assembly has raised questions which are not answered. So as assembly, as a leadership and the entire county assembly, we seek clarification from the government but no one is explaining to us details of this borrowing, the details as to why the supplementary budget is coming on the last day, and who made this supplementary budget, was the assembly involved,” he said.

The MCAs added there are pending bills of the county assembly not paid and their efforts to reach out to Sakaja have not yielded.

“There are a lot of issues unaccomplished and we have asked the government to sort these issues. We are waiting for them to respond with the request of the county assembly members and the leadership of the assembly,” Imwatok added.

Majority Whip Moses Ogeto attributed the challenge to the failure by Governor Sakaja to give the way forward after he suspended County Executive Committee Member for Finance Charles Kerich, who was convicted of contempt of court about two months ago.

In his place, Sakaja appointed Ibrahim Nyangoya in an acting capacity, but he has not gazetted to give him powers to proceed with budget preparation. “The MCAs want to understand the budget, especially the development but the Executive has not explained anything,” Ogeto shared 

He said the executive also delayed gazetting the acting Finance CECM until June 30, 2026 citing that the MCAs are not to blame.

“There is a crisis because of the delay in gazetting the acting CECM, and the law is clear on what is supposed to done, now that he has been gazetted the new CECM should come to us and explain everything about the budget,” Ogeto added.

Kerich was convicted of contempt of court and sentenced to three months in prison on May 19, 2026 for failing to settle a Sh106.7 million legal fee to Kwengu & Company Advocates for services rendered on behalf of Foton East Africa Ltd, which is owed Sh142 million by Nairobi County Government.

The decree was issued on May 19, 2026 by Justice Francis Gikonyo.