- Sakaja accused of giving Ksh2 M to disrupt protests
- Viral posts link him to activist Gaucho and Swaleh Sonko
- Governor denies meeting them, says he was in Lugari that day
- Armed gangs filmed chanting “Sakaja tumelinda jiji” during chaos
- Citizen TV exposed some attackers as unpaid and now in hiding
- No arrests made so far, but public calls for accountability grow
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has come out strongly to deny claims that he sponsored a group of goons who disrupted protests in the city. The protests, held on Tuesday, June 17, were demanding justice for Albert Ojwang’, a teacher and blogger who allegedly died in police custody.
Online reports alleged that Sakaja met secretly with activist Calvin Okoth “Gaucho” and a man named Swaleh Sonko on Sunday, June 15. It was claimed that he gave them Ksh2 million to hire people to infiltrate and wreck the peaceful demos.
Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Sakaja rubbished the claims as outright lies. He said he was in Lugari for a church event that Sunday and returned to Nairobi the next day. He even attached a flight ticket from Kitale to support his statement.
“Blatant lies. I was in Lugari, and I came back on Monday via Skywards. I haven’t seen Gaucho since the Mukuru launch, and I haven’t met Swaleh in months,” Sakaja posted.
He went further to claim that Swaleh was aligned elsewhere, hinting that “everyone knows who he works for.”
Videos of Goons Chanting His Name Fuel Suspicions
Things got more heated after disturbing videos showed armed groups marching past City Hall, chanting “Sakaja tumelinda jiji” (Sakaja, we have protected the city). These men, some holding crude weapons, were recorded attacking protesters, looting shops, and leaving many injured.
This sparked speculation that they were working under political orders, especially after Citizen TV aired an exposé where some of the same individuals confessed to being hired but unpaid. Now in hiding, they claimed they feared for their lives and apologised to the public.
Despite all the noise online and on air, no one has been arrested or publicly named in connection with organising or arming the gangs. The silence from authorities has only increased pressure on Sakaja, who had earlier urged peaceful protests and the protection of both public and private property.
Now, the public wants him to fully cooperate with investigations, as trust in city leadership faces fresh cracks. The bigger concern is whether civic action in Kenya is being criminalised or politically sabotaged from within.
