Ousted Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu on Monday presented his case before the Milimani High Court seeking to stop the new county boss James Nyoro from appointing his deputy.
Through his lawyers, Waititu has stated that Nyoro took over the gubernatorial illegally and as such as no legal standing to appoint anyone as his deputy.
Waititu was impeached after a majority of senators upheld the decision by the Kiambu county assembly to remove him on three grounds; gross misconduct, abuse of office and engaging in corruption.
Retired Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu in court; seeks to stop Dr James Nyoro from nominating deputy governor.
— Abdulahi Adan (@AbdulahiAdan10) February 3, 2020
Reports indicate that lobbying for the position of the Deputy Governor has already started days after former officeholder James Nyoro was sworn in as governor.
Nyoro had been serving in an acting capacity after Waititu was suspended from office over a corruption case and later impeached by Members of the County Assembly and Senate.
Nyoro was sworn on Friday by High Court Judge John Onyiego at the county headquarters in an event skipped by Kiambu lawmakers affiliated to Tangatanga group that is allied to DP William Ruto.
During his swearing-in, Governor Nyoro promised to consider gender and regional balance in the appointment of his deputy.
The assembly Speaker Stephen Ndichu had proposed that a woman be appointed as Nyoro’s deputy, with former Kiambu Woman Representative Anna Nyokabi and former Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo being the frontrunners.
“The position of the deputy governor is now vacant and it is open to anybody. I have had talks with the governor and he has no problem nominating a woman,” said Mr Ndichu.
Nyokabi, who is a relative to President Uhuru Kenyatta, had been proposed by ODM leader Raila Odinga in 2018 to replace Polycarp Igathe as Nairobi governor Mike Sonko’s deputy.
She has, however, played down her links to becoming Kiambu’s second in command.
“Give the governor time, he has a lot of work ahead of him. Let’s not engage in unnecessary speculations,” she was quoted by The Standard.
In a press briefing held at a hotel in Juja, Kiambu East Leaders Forum rallied behind the appointment of a female candidate from the region citing such as the surest way to ensure proper representation of all persons at the county leadership.