Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has ignited a fresh political firestorm by demanding the impeachment of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, claiming the city boss was elected solely for his charming dimples and has delivered zero progress since taking office.
In a blistering address, Cherargei lambasted Sakaja’s leadership, urging city MCAs to launch impeachment proceedings immediately to rescue the capital from what he called a “cosmetic administration obsessed with smiles but allergic to solutions.”
“Huyu Sakaja alichaguliwa kwa sababu ako na dimples tu; nothing is working in Nairobi. MCAs should impeach him,” Cherargei thundered, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he listed a litany of grievances from choked drainage systems to stalled affordable housing projects.
The senator, a vocal critic of the Kenya Kwanza government’s urban management, stressed that Sakaja’s two-year tenure has been marked by empty promises, with pothole-riddled roads, erratic water supply, and rising garbage heaps turning the city into a “national embarrassment”. “Johnson Sakaja must be impeached,” he reiterated, pointing to the governor’s recent budget fiasco where millions allocated for street lighting vanished without trace.
Supporters of the senator, particularly from the Rift Valley, flooded social media with memes superimposing Sakaja’s dimpled grin on crumbling infrastructure photos, while city hall insiders dismissed Cherargei as a “jealous outsider meddling in matters beyond his county.”
Nairobi Majority Leader fired back during a press briefing, accusing the Nandi lawmaker of “sour grapes” after Sakaja’s team outmanoeuvred him in recent National Assembly alliances. “Dimples or not, Governor Sakaja is delivering on devolution. Let Cherargei fix his own backyard before eyeing City Hall,” the leader snapped.
Cherargei’s impeachment call taps into simmering frustrations among Nairobi voters, where a recent Infotrak poll shows Sakaja’s approval rating dipping to 32 percent amid complaints over unaffordable housing levies and youth unemployment spikes.
The senator referenced the stalled Nairobi Regeneration Plan, a flagship project meant to revamp the Central Business District but now mired in corruption scandals involving overpriced tenders for flyovers and markets.
“We voted for transformation, not teeth-flashing sessions. MCAs have the constitutional tools under Article 181 to act. If they don’t, the people will,” he warned, hinting at potential street protests if the assembly drags its feet.
Nairobi’s 85 MCAs, split between UDA loyalists and independents, now face mounting pressure. A cross-party caucus meeting is slated for Thursday, where impeachment motions could be tabled if at least one-third of members back it.
Legal experts note that grounds for removal include gross misconduct or abuse of office, categories Cherargei argues Sakaja fits perfectly with his administration’s handling of the 2024 floods that displaced thousands in informal settlements like Kibera and Mathare. “The evidence is everywhere: flooded homes, unpaid workers, and a governor more visible on dance floors than in boardrooms,” the senator added.
As the sun rose over a litter-strewn Uhuru Highway on Wednesday, matatu conductors and hawkers echoed the sentiment: Nairobi deserves better than dimples. Whether MCAs heed the call remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Sakaja’s polished facade is cracking under the weight of unfulfilled dreams, and Cherargei’s impeachment drumbeat is growing louder by the hour.
