This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
On July 20, 2020, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja resigned as chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee on Covid-19, citing his recent arrest for violating the government's curfew orders.
Speaking outside the Kilimani Police Station, Sakaja apologized to Kenyans for his actions, stating, 'I take responsibility for having flouted the Covid-19 rules. I was outside my home past 9 pm. It is regrettable but all of us make mistakes.'
The senator acknowledged that he had made a mistake and decided to step down from his position in the committee to set an example and take responsibility for his actions.
He also expressed his commitment to abiding by the law, stating, 'No one is above the law. I will be appearing in court tomorrow and the entire course of the law will be followed.'
However, Sakaja took issue with the conduct of police officers after the incident, claiming that they intimidated his family.
He stated, 'The whole of Saturday and Sunday, more than 50 officers brandishing guns have been at my residence and yet am not a fugitive.'
The senator was arrested on Saturday at a Kilimani bar for violating the government's curfew orders, alongside three others.
