This archive report was first published on 11 August 2019.
Published on August 11, 2019, by Tee Ngugi, a Nairobi-based political commentator.
Ferdinand Waititu, the former governor of Kiambu County, rose to fame through his outrageous antics, which were widely reported by the media. He slapped people, incited violence against an ethnic group, and exchanged rock projectiles with opponents in the streets of Nairobi.
However, his fortunes took a turn for the worse when he was charged with theft of public money. In a ruling on his bail, Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi forbade Waititu from entering his office and contacting witnesses.
Despite this, Waititu was seen taking a walkabout in Kiambu, declaring that he did not need an office to execute his duties. He was later shown dancing joyously in a church, his ample belly bouncing laboriously up and down.
The devolution experiment in Kenya, which began in 2013, aimed to bring development to people at the grassroots. However, counties have proved to be just as inept, discriminatory, and thieving as central government.
Many governors have been charged with the theft of billions of shillings' worth of county funds, and more are likely to follow. This has led to an unprecedented tough stance by judges and magistrates against high-level thievery.
Justice Mumbi Ngugi's landmark ruling, coupled with the no-nonsense approach of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Criminal Investigations, spells the beginning of the end of thievery of public funds by government officials.
However, the governors and their lawyers claim that the judgments only barred them from entering their office buildings, and that they can still exercise oversight over public resources from other premises.
But is it possible for governors to comply with the order barring them from any interaction with witnesses who could be their subordinates? The Constitution is clear on the meaning of both Justice Ngugi and Magistrate Mugambi's rulings.
Leaders of conscience should resign as a way of restoring public confidence in the offices they hold in trust. The image of an alleged thief blessing the prospective moral leader inspires little confidence.
The Kiambu theatre of the absurd will morph into a Grecian tragedy of great poverty and despair.
