Wamuzi News Ke
A high-stakes legal challenge has been initiated against Nyeri County Governor Mutahi Kahiga, with a petition lodged in the High Court seeking to declare him unfit to hold public office. The move comes amid allegations that Kahiga made inflammatory ethnic remarks, which petitioners say threaten national cohesion and violate constitutional norms.
Petitioners Demand Immediate Suspension
Filed on October 29, 2025, the petition originates from civil society group Bunge la Mwananchi and individual litigants including Lawrence Oyugi, Komeade Bush and Nicholas Kimanzi. They are asking the court not only to declare Kahiga unfit, but to suspend him from performing his duties pending full adjudication.
Root of the Allegations
According to court documents, Governor Kahiga allegedly made remarks on October 17, 2024 during a public function in Nyeri County which petitioners claim contained ethnic undertones targeting the Luo community. One cited example in Kikuyu, translated into English, suggested that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s death was a divine act benefiting Kahiga’s political side. The comments reportedly included coded references like “Kayole” and “ugali” aimed at generating an “us versus them” narrative.
Legal Basis for the Petition
The petition asserts that Kahiga’s utterances breach multiple constitutional and statutory provisions:
- Article 10 (national values and principles)
- Articles 27 and 28 (equality and dignity)
- Articles 73 and 75 (leadership and integrity)
- The National Cohesion and Integration Act and other anti-hate-speech legislation.
Further, the petition argues that the governor’s continued presence in office amplifies the risk of repeated divisions and possible violence in regions with a volatile history of ethnic tension.
Stakes Are High
This case holds broader implications for governance, leadership accountability and ethnic harmony in Kenya. If the court grants the suspension request, Nyeri County would face a leadership vacuum, and the principle that public officers can be held to account for divisive conduct would be reinforced. Conversely, a dismissal could embolden similar rhetoric by other regional leaders.
