Nairobi City Governor Johnson Sakaja appeared before the Senate Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee on Thursday to answer for the controversial eviction of tenants at Old Ngara Estate, months after ignoring two written invitations and a final summons that had threatened his arrest.

The session was chaired by Nominated Senator Veronica Maina, the committee’s Vice Chair, who wasted no time setting expectations.

“Governor, this committee is glad you are finally here. The residents of Old Ngara deserve answers on the evictions, on the accounts, and on how the county intends to treat its most vulnerable tenants going forward,” she said.

Sakaja, who appeared with written submissions, attributed his earlier absence to miscommunication rather than contempt. “I did not disrespect this honourable committee.

My administration cannot and will not carry out inhumane evictions,” he said. But he was equally firm on the other side of the argument.

“Tenants must meet their obligations. Impunity in rent payment has denied the county billions in revenue, a persistent audit query my administration cannot condone.”

The committee then raised a more troubling concern, that some county staff may have personal interests in the contested properties and were deliberately harassing tenants to facilitate illegal reallocation.

Senator Daniel Maanzo pressed the Governor directly. “We need you to investigate your own staff. There is credible concern that some officers have vested interests in these properties. That would explain why tenants with proof of payment are still being evicted. This committee wants accountability.”

Sakaja agreed to a full accounts reconciliation, announcing a dedicated reporting desk at City Hall and at estate offices for tenants with disputes.

Senator Maina had the final word. “Governor, we expect full reconciliation of these accounts. And where tenants were evicted illegally, restitution must follow. No one should lose their home unlawfully and walk away without remedy.”