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A petition has been filed in court seeking to have Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga declared unfit to hold public office over accusations that he made ethnic and inflammatory remarks threatening national unity and cohesion.
The petition, filed by Bunge la Mwananchi, Lawrence Oyugi, Komeade Bush, and Nicholas Kimanzi, asks the court to issue temporary orders suspending Kahiga from office until the matter is heard and determined.
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According to the petitioners, Governor Kahiga’s continued stay in office gives him “a platform to repeat and amplify the divisive remarks,” which they say amount to hate speech and a violation of the Constitution. They also want him barred from making further inflammatory statements targeting specific ethnic communities.
Court documents indicate that the case stems from remarks allegedly made by Kahiga on October 17, 2024, during a public event in Nyeri County. The governor is accused of making comments in Kikuyu, later translated into English, that appeared to mock the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and portray it as a divine act favoring his political allies.
The petition cites statements such as “All goodies were being directed there… but who is God, does He take Ugali at somebody’s house or sleep in Kayole?” — which the petitioners claim were ethnically coded and derogatory toward the Luo community, using “Kayole” as a veiled reference.
The petitioners argue that such remarks created an “us versus them” narrative, inciting hostility between communities and amounting to gross misconduct under the Leadership and Integrity Act, the National Cohesion and Integration Act, and several constitutional provisions.
They cite breaches of Articles 10, 27, 28, 73, and 75 of the Constitution, which uphold national values, integrity in public office, non-discrimination, and respect for human dignity.
The petitioners warn that such rhetoric, if unchecked, could inflame ethnic divisions similar to those that fueled the 1990s clashes and the 2007–2008 Post-Election Violence, which left over 1,000 people dead.
They note that Nakuru County, mentioned in Kahiga’s remarks, was among the epicenters of past ethnic violence, likening his words to “pouring fuel on glowing embers.”
The petitioners are urging the court to:
- Suspend Governor Kahiga from office pending determination of the case.
- Declare him unfit for public office due to gross misconduct.
- Direct the DPP and EACC to investigate and take legal action.
- Remove him from office permanently and award legal costs to the petitioners.
They insist that holding leaders accountable for hate speech is vital to protecting Kenya’s fragile peace and preventing future ethnic conflict.
