NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 30— Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has defended his decision not to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), citing a collective resolution by the Council of Governors.In a statement issued Monday, Sakaja said the matter surrounding his summons was institutional rather than personal and should be handled through formal engagement between the Council of Governors and the Senate.Sakaja condemned what he termed “unnecessary drama” following a police operation at City Hall to enforce his arrest.He argued that governors operate under the law and have consistently cooperated with oversight bodies, but described the actions taken by the police as unwarranted.“The dramatic actions by the Office of the Inspector General in this matter are unwarranted and unnecessary,” the governor said, adding that disputes between governors and the Senate should be resolved institutionally rather than through enforcement measures targeting an individual office holder.Sakaja said he acted in line with guidance issued by the Council of Governors advising members not to appear before the CPAC until outstanding concerns raised by the council are addressed.He noted that he had previously appeared before multiple Senate committees, including the Lands, Environment and Natural Resources Committee last week, and had attended CPAC sessions more frequently than previous Nairobi governors to respond to audit queries dating back to 2015.The governor also maintained that he remained accessible through official channels throughout the day and questioned the timing and scale of the police presence at City Hall. “There is no justification for creating unnecessary drama or a show of force at night,” he said, calling for dialogue between the Senate and the Council of Governors to resolve the standoff amicably.The statement came minutes after police officers stormed Nairobi City Hall in search of Sakaja following a directive by a Senate watchdog committee ordering his arrest for contempt of Parliament.Issa Mohamud told reporters on Monday that officers were actively searching for the governor and would continue the operation until he was apprehended and presented before the Senate committee.“We are not relenting. We are going to look for him, and if he does not present himself by tomorrow morning, maybe we will get him tonight,” Mohamud said, declining to disclose operational details.Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the enforcement action was not limited to Nairobi alone but also targeted the governor of Samburu County, stressing that the police were constitutionally obligated to execute the Senate’s directive.“This is not directed at Governor Sakaja alone. It also includes the governor for Samburu. Under Articles 96 and 125 of the Constitution, they are duty bound to present themselves before the Senate, failure to which necessary steps, including arrest, must be taken,” Nyaga said.The confrontation follows a decision by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee on March 25 to fine Sakaja Sh 500,000 and order his arrest after finding him in contempt for failing to honour multiple summons related to audit queries on Nairobi County finances.The committee, chaired by Moses Kajwang, directed Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to arrest the governor and present him before the committee for questioning on the management of billions of shillings in county funds.Senators have raised concerns over audit findings that flagged irregular expenditures, including large withdrawals from salary accounts, unsupported fuel expenses, and weaknesses in procurement and financial oversight within Nairobi City County.The Senate is expected to determine whether the governor’s conduct amounts to a serious violation of the Constitution, a finding that could have significant political implications ahead of Kenya’s 2027 general election.