By Patrcia Mollyne Mataga
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is now facing arrest. This is after snubbing a Senate committee that is probing the Embakasi fire accident.
According to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, the committee, of which he is a member, has resolved to direct the Inspector General of Police to arrest the county boss and present him before the committee.
The IG is now expected to present Sakaja before the committee on April 25, 2024.
In a post on his verified X handle on Thursday, April 11, 2024, Sifuna further said the committee also resolved to fine the Governor Ksh500,000 for his failure to honour their summons.
Sakaja was to appear before the committee on Thursday but he was nowhere to be seen.
“The Senate Energy Committee looking into the Mradi gas explosion in Embakasi has resolved to fine Governor Sakaja another Ksh 500,000 and requested the IG of Police to arrest and present him to the committee on 25th April 2024. He failed to appear again this morning,” Sifuna said in the post.
The Nairobi county boss has in the recent past snubbed several Senate summons.
Last week, he was to appear before the Public Accounts Committee but failed to show up, claiming he was out of the country.
“My Governor was supposed to be before the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate this morning to discuss the Auditor Generals Reports for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 Financial Years. They are both ADVERSE reports. 2022-2023 too. Guess who is out of the country,” Sifuna noted in a post dated April 8, 2024.
The Senate Energy Committee is probing the February 2024 fire incident that reports indicate was caused by an explosion during gas refiling operations at the Kentainers Company Ltd gas plant near the Skyline Apartments in the Embakasi area.
At least six people died while several others were injured.
“We regret to report that three more individuals have succumbed to their injuries, raising the death toll from the Embakasi fire incident to six,” spokesman Isaac Maigua Mwaura said in a statement.
