Nairobi City County’s leadership crisis took center stage on Monday after Senators Edwin Sifuna of Nairobi and Richard Onyonka of Kisii walked out of a Senate Devolution Committee session while questioning Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The move drew sharp criticism from ODM youth leader Kasmuel McCoure, who accused the senators of abandoning their oversight responsibilities at a time the city urgently requires accountable governance.
McCoure described the walkout as a missed opportunity for Nairobi’s elected representatives to address persistent challenges in the capital.
"Nairobi is a four-trillion-shilling economy, yet residents continue to face issues from blocked drainage and sewage overflow to manipulated water scarcity," he stated.
He further called the session exit a “reckless performance” undermining the city’s need for effective leadership.
The criticism comes after a previous attempt to impeach Governor Sakaja was withdrawn, a move that had raised expectations for renewed commitment to service delivery.
McCoure argued that, rather than addressing core infrastructure and public service deficits, Nairobi residents were offered superficial improvements that do not resolve daily governance challenges.
Senators Sifuna and Onyonka’s departure from the committee coincided with questioning focused on Nairobi’s financial management, urban planning, and service delivery gaps.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about accountability and transparency in Nairobi’s governance.
McCoure emphasized the importance of elected officials remaining engaged in oversight processes, insisting that citizens deserve leaders who confront difficult questions directly and prioritize tangible improvements over political theatrics.
The Senate session walkout has sparked debate on the role of oversight in Kenya’s devolution framework, highlighting the tension between political considerations and citizen expectations for functional, responsive local government.