President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga have moved to defuse tensions surrounding the looming impeachment of Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson, urging leaders to put dialogue and service delivery ahead of political brinkmanship.

People Daily understands that the ward reps did not completely agree to drop the impeachment motion but gave both Ruto and Raila two months to act as mediators, failure of which will result in them re-igniting the ouster.

By Tuesday, September 2, 2025, all the elected 85 MCAs had signed the impeachment motion.

At the State House, President Ruto held a meeting with UDA MCAs, where he cautioned them against pursuing the ouster motion.

Drawing from his own political battles, the President reminded the ward reps that leadership demands resilience, not retaliation.

“I have been the most accused person, but I never allowed that to derail my work. I urge you to put aside differences and drop this motion,” Ruto told the MCAs.

However, the MCAs who attended the State House meeting said that the meeting ended without a proper agreement, as the President was asked to convene a meeting between the ward reps and the governor on Wednesday.

Almost simultaneously, ODM leader Raila Odinga convened a meeting in Nairobi with ODM MPs and MCAs, chaired by veteran politician Fred Gumo, who was later joined by Sakaja himself. The deliberations, according to insiders, concluded with a consensus to withdraw support for the impeachment push, framing it as a distraction that risks destabilising Kenya’s capital city.

“Nairobi must not be held hostage by political brinkmanship. Leaders must rise above partisan agendas to deliver for the people,” Raila said.

Despite being elected on a UDA ticket, Sakaja’s reliance on ODM’s numerical strength in the County Assembly has often drawn fire from his own political backyard.

Last year, then-Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused him of “abandoning his community” for the opposition. Sakaja, however, has remained firm in defending his inclusive style.

MCAs accused the county boss of failing to deliver his pledges three years on, with stalled projects in the wards.

According to Deputy Minority Leader Waithera Chege, Sakaja has failed to disburse bursaries and the Ward Development Fund, citing that it has not been working.

“Three-quarters of the members who call the governor cannot receive their calls or call back, so there are issues of communication between the executive and the assembly, and his failure to come out on the issue of broad-based government,” she added.

The member explained that some issues are supposed to be dealt with by the intergovernmental laws, but Sakaja has failed to offer guidance.