Governor Sakaja fined Sh500,000 for failing to honor summons to respond to petition by Pumwani-California residents

A Senate Committee has imposed a fine of Sh500,000 on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for his year-long evasion of its summons. The county chief has consistently ignored the Roads, Transportation, and Housing Committee since November last year, sparking trouble with the panel.

Governor Sakaja is required to respond to queries related to the city regeneration program, which involves the potential eviction of numerous residents from their current homes. Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa, who chairs the committee, deemed the governor's non-appearance as contemptuous.

Despite Sakaja's explanation, conveyed through the acting county secretary, that he was abroad, Thang’wa expressed skepticism, stating, "It has taken a year for the Governor to appear before this committee to address the plight of his residents yet he is dining with the Kings and Queens and going abroad."

Consequently, Governor Sakaja has been fined Sh500,000, with the directive to curtail his trip and appear before the committee on Thursday. The committee has demanded that he provide a travel manifest upon his return to substantiate his claim of being out of the country.

The committee had initially convened to address concerns raised by chairpersons of residents’ associations in estates marked for redevelopment under the city's urban regeneration and renewal program. Ofafa Jericho, Jericho Lumumba, California, and Ofafa Maringo estates are among the 13 estates in Eastlands earmarked for redevelopment by the Nairobi County Government.

Specifically, residents of the New Pumwani-California estate had submitted a petition to the County Government of Nairobi, urging the conversion of house ownership from Social Housing Units to a Tenant Purchase Scheme for mortgage payment. Despite this plea, there had been no response from the county government.

The Committee, in response to the concerns raised by California residents, called for Governor Sakaja to provide a copy of the agreement between the Israeli Government and the Government of Kenya for the construction of estates through a Tenant Purchase Scheme. Additionally, the committee seeks a copy of the report on the Urban Renewal Plan for Eastlands, development control guidelines for Eastlands, and the status of the county government's response to the petition from residents of New Pumwani/California estate for the conversion of social housing units to a Tenant Purchase Scheme.