This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
On December 20, 2019, High Court Judge Mumbi Ngugi made a landmark ruling that governors facing corruption charges should step aside until their cases are concluded. This decision has significant implications for the two governors, Moses Lenolkulal and Ferdinand Waititu, who are currently at the Court of Appeal in Milimani, awaiting a ruling on their access to their offices.
Lenolkulal, the governor of Samburu, was arrested in April over suspected Sh84 million fraud at the county. He was accused of trading with the county government through Oryx Service Station for the supply of fuel since March 27, 2013, without disclosing his interest in the service station.
Similarly, Waititu, the impeached governor of Kiambu, is facing economic crimes charges. Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi gave the order against Waititu following a precedence set by Judge Ngugi that directed Lenolkulal not to step in his office unless authorized by the anti-graft agency CEO Twalib Mbarak.
Waititu criticized the orders to have him escorted to his office to collect personal items, saying barring him from office is unlawful. However, the magistrate stated that barring Waititu from office did not amount to removing him from office but was meant to protect the integrity of the court process.
