Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has criticised police officers for attempting to arrest him at night, questioning the timing and motive behind the operation amid an ongoing standoff with the Senate.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the Senate buildings, Sakaja expressed concern over the actions of officers from the National Police Service, who had camped outside his office at City Hall on Monday evening in a bid to execute a warrant of arrest.

The governor said he had been in his office throughout the day and could not understand why the police chose to move in the evening hours.

“Why come to the office at night? I was in the office the whole day. Who is in the office at seven?” Sakaja posed, terming the move as questionable and unnecessary.

The attempted arrest follows a directive by a Senate watchdog committee ordering his apprehension after he failed to appear before it. 

The development has heightened tensions between county governments and the Senate, with Sakaja maintaining that the matter goes beyond him as an individual.

He insisted that he had nothing to hide and reaffirmed his willingness to engage with the Senate, even as he made a dramatic appearance at Parliament, driving himself to the Senate buildings shortly after news of the police search emerged.

“They were looking for me to come to the Senate, I am here. I have nothing to hide from the Senate or the public,” he stated.

Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud confirmed on Monday that officers had been deployed to locate the governor and would continue with the operation until he was presented before the Senate committee.

However, Sakaja dismissed the move to deploy police officers to arrest him, describing it as “unwarranted and unnecessary.” 

He argued that the dispute in question is institutional rather than personal, stemming from a broader disagreement between the Council of Governors and the Senate.

In a statement issued earlier on Monday, the governor said his decision not to appear before the committee was guided by the Council of Governors, which had advised its members to boycott appearances until outstanding issues with the Senate are resolved.

“The issue at hand is not a personal matter concerning Governor Sakaja Johnson, but one that is being handled collectively by the Council of Governors,” the statement read.

He further emphasized that disputes between governors and senators should be addressed through institutional mechanisms rather than actions targeting individual leaders.

The standoff highlights growing friction between devolved units and oversight bodies, particularly over the scope and manner of accountability. 

While the Senate has insisted on its constitutional mandate to oversee county governments, governors have increasingly pushed back, arguing for clearer frameworks on engagement.