There was drama in the Senate on Monday, November 24, 2025, when Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his Kisii counterpart, Richard Onyonka, walked out of a committee meeting while questioning Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja over the county’s financial management and banking arrangements.
The tense standoff unfolded during a session of the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations, which was tasked with scrutinizing the county’s choice of banks and handling of public funds.
Sifuna and Onyonka pressed Governor Sakaja to provide evidence justifying the selection of certain banking institutions, raising concerns over whether the decisions were purely administrative or influenced by personal connections. The senators demanded documentation showing that the county secured the best possible deals and that public funds were protected.
Tensions rose further when nominated Senator Margaret Jepkoech Kamar intervened. “We cannot allow the Senator of Nairobi to divert us from our agenda. As a committee chair, can you guide us so we can complete our agenda? Chair, I don’t think anybody in this committee should be a gatekeeper for anybody. We are here to get the facts, and the facts will set us free,” Kamar said during the session.
Sifuna and Onyonka, before storming out of the chamber, had insisted that the committee limit its agenda strictly to Nairobi’s financial management without engaging in broad policy debates or interference by any other senator. Their dramatic walkout highlighted the growing friction between lawmakers and county leadership over accountability, transparency, and proper management of public resources.
“This is about transparency and accountability in Nairobi. We cannot allow anyone to divert this committee from its mandate,” Sifuna said as he left, temporarily halting the committee’s proceedings.
In response, Governor Sakaja defended the county’s banking decisions, emphasizing that all arrangements were legal, administrative, and aimed at improving efficiency, particularly in processing salary payments and supporting other county operations.
He added that the county had considered various banking arrangements before sealing the deals and was willing to avail documents that would validate such decisions. Sakaja stressed that the move complied with all legal requirements and was intended to safeguard public funds while ensuring smooth county operations.
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