A petition has been filed at the High Court seeking to have Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga declared unfit for public office, which could lead to his removal.
The move follows the leak of a video clip in which Kahiga allegedly stated that the death of the late Raila Odinga would result in development projects previously directed to Nyanza being redirected to the Mount Kenya region.
The petitioners, Bunge la Mwananchi, along with Lawrence Oyugi, Komeade Bush, and Nicholas Kimanzi, argue that the governor’s remarks were ethnically charged and inflammatory, potentially undermining national unity and cohesion.
Petition Filed to Declare Nyeri Governor Unfit for Public Office. Photo: Courtesy.
The petitioners further argue that the governor’s statements amount to hate speech and gross misconduct which is against the Constitution.
Warning that such ethnically charged comments could spark unrest similar to the post-election violence of 2007–2008, the petitioners asked the court to restrain Kahiga from making any further inflammatory or ethnic-based statements.
Additionally, they are urging the court to direct the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to investigate the governor and ultimately declare him unfit to hold public office.
