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Forget governor’s seat, Kabogo tells Waititu

By Hilary Kimuyu February 5th, 2020 2 min read

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has advised his successor Ferdinand Waititu to move on following his impeachment.

Kabogo, in a tweet on Tuesday, said Waititu should forget the governor’s seat and instead focus on defending himself in a case in which he is charged with corruption over the alleged loss of county funds.

“My free unsolicited advice to Hon. Ferdinand Waititu, your removal was people-driven, pushing and trying to come back in which one way will only aggravate things and cause you more pain,” Kabogo wrote.

“Concentrate rather on your defense at the criminal proceeding at Milimani courts. I wish you well Sir,” he added.

Kabogo’s advice came after Waititu moved to court to challenge his impeachment, which he argues was irregular.

Waititu was kicked out in December 2019 after 63 out of 92 Members of the Kiambu County Assembly (MCAs) voted in support of an impeachment motion tabled by Ndenderu Ward Representative Solomon Kinuthia.

In the motion, MCA Kinuthia cited gross misconduct and abuse of office as the main grounds for Waititu’s impeachment.

He also accused Waititu of flouting the public procurement and disposal act by influencing the award of contracts to companies associated with his immediate family and close relatives.

Waititu also faced another accusation of violating the constitution by forcefully dispossessing and unlawfully occupying a parcel of land in Thika belonging to Cecilia Njoki Mbugua, a widow.

IMPEACHED

Last week, the Senate last week upheld Waititu’s impeachment on the grounds of gross violation of the Constitution and public finance management act, crimes under the national law and gross misconduct/abuse of office.

Then on Tuesday, Waititu suffered another setback when he lost a bid to block two prosecution witnesses from testifying against him in a Sh580 million graft case.

Senior Principal Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki ruled that promotion of law cannot be attained when the court shuts out evidence without a hearing.

The magistrate said public interest in the punishment of crime justifies legal requirement that a competent witness should be compellable.

Mr Waititu had asked the court to block former Finance Chief Officer Faith Njeri Harrison and former Director of Supply Chain Management Justus Bundi Kinoti from testifying in his graft case.

He claimed that the two carried out key financial transactions that saw him got arrested and charged in court. Through lawyer John Swaka, he argued that their testimony against him would be skewed.

The embattled politician famously known as Baba Yao, was charged with six counts over a Sh580 million irregular tender in July last year.

He was charged alongside his wife Susan Wangari Ndung’u and eight others who are Kiambu County employees.