Embattled Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu can now breathe a sigh of relief after a Nairobi court rejected a bid to enjoin MCAs and a lobby group to be enjoined in his Ksh 500 million graft case.
Giving his verdict on Thursday, Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi said the MCAs’ participation in the criminal case will not in any way aid in the delivery of justice.
The 12 Kiambu county MCAs, through lawyer Ndungu Gathinji, had on August 2019, asked the magistrate to allow them to be included in the brief of the case against their boss as interested parties.
The ward reps, in their request, argued that they represent thousands of Kiambu residents who are victims of the alleged corruption committed by their governor and his wife Susan Waititu.
COURT REJECTS bid by 12 Kiambu MCAs and a lobby group to be enjoined in Sh500m graft case facing Governor Waititu, his wife Susan and others. pic.twitter.com/bRxtS6YwdJ
— NationBreakingNews (@NationBreaking) October 17, 2019
The magistrate, on his part, directed the ward representatives to make a formal application and serve the accused persons to also make formal responses before he decides whether to allow their participation or not.
Their application was, however, objected by the prosecution who came out to state that the 12 MCAs have no locus standi rather were after their political interests.
The same was echoed by Waititu’s lawyers, led by Mbiyu Kamau, who opposed the application, claiming that the MCAs only wanted to derail the case by turning it into a political contest.
“We will not allow the case to become a political contest instead of a legal process. Their interest has not been disclosed and there are questions whether they have any reasonable grounds to be joined as interested parties,” objected Kamau in the past.
Governor Waititu and his wife Susan Wangari were charged with illegal awarding of over Ksh588 million tender. The county boss was barred from accessing his office until his case was heard and determined.
His deputy James Nyoro took over all the county activities for the time the governor will be out.