By the time Raila and Ruto stepped in, Sakaja was staring at imminent removal, with a vast majority of Nairobi MCAs having already endorsed an impeachment motion. The plan was to eject both Sakaja and his deputy, James Njoroge, triggering a by-election after a 60-day caretaker period under the County Assembly Speaker.
Behind the scenes, both Raila and Ruto reportedly grew anxious at the prospect of facing Gachagua in a high-stakes Nairobi by-election. According to insiders, Gachagua had signalled his readiness to marshal a formidable challenge by brokering an agreement within the opposition to front Embakasi East MP Babu Owino as their candidate.
With the backing of Mount Kenya, Luo, and Kamba votes, Babu was viewed as capable of humiliating a joint Raila-Ruto nominee. An alternative strategy involved rallying support behind Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, with Kamba endorsement under Kalonzo Musyoka’s influence, further complicating the equation. Compounding matters was the fear that UDA-aligned MCAs, many of whom reportedly fall under Gachagua’s influence, might not act in Ruto’s favour. There were whispers that they could vote to impeach Sakaja while sparing his deputy, Njoroge. In such a scenario, Njoroge—an ally of Raila—would automatically ascend to governorship, a possibility both Raila and Ruto had not anticipated.
Raila and Ruto were also aware of Gachagua’s persistent public calls for Sakaja’s removal, a move designed to pave the way for a Mount Kenya politician to occupy Nairobi’s top seat. This heightened their urgency to act, as allowing the impeachment to proceed risked destabilising the fragile political balance in the capital.
In the end, Raila and Ruto closed ranks to shield Sakaja, not out of loyalty to the governor, but as a tactical move to deny Gachagua an opportunity to reshape Nairobi’s politics through a by-election. Their intervention underscores the uneasy alliances and rivalries that continue to define Kenya’s political landscape, where the survival of one leader often hinges on the strategic calculations of others.
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