Sonko, Waititu be barred from polls, says Ombudsman

An outdoor billboard advertising Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu (left), Makadara MP Gidion Mbuvi (centre) and nominated MP Rachel Shebesh interest in elective seats. Photo/ANNE MACHARIA

Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu and Makadara MP Gidion Mbuvi alias 'Sonko' are among public officers Ombudsman office recommends should be barred from contesting in the forthcoming General Election.

The Ombudsman office further recommended that the same fate should also befall all the 22 commissioners of the now defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya for mismanaging the 2007 polls leading to the deaths of more than 1,000 people with at least 350,000 displaced.

The Commission of Administrative Justice led by lawyer Otiende Amollo, also listed another 12 senior government and state corporation officials who they feel should not hold public office.

They include former PS Sylvester Mwaliko, Mr Francis Oyugi, a former Kenya Wines Agency MD, Mr John Ndirangu a former Nairobi Mayor, Mr Evans Mukolwe a former Kenya Wildlife Service Director and Mr Francis Menjo formerly of the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology.

Others are a Gideon Osoro of the ministry of Agriculture, George Fred Onyango of the ministry of Lands, Mr John Njenga Ndung’u of the Kenya Wine Agencies, John Faustine Kinyua and Charles Gichane of the Kenya Re-Insurance Corporation as well as Duncan Muiriuki formerly of the Kenya Tourism Board.

These officials, said Mr Amollo at a news conference, had been convicted of abuse of office.

Mr Amollo revealed that they had consequently written to the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) asking it to take tough action on the officials accused of abuse of power, misbehaviour as well as improper and unresponsive conduct.

The commission’s mandate is to amongst others, investigate and inquire into allegations of maladministration, administrative injustice, incompetence, misbehaviour and take appropriate remedial action.

It is led by lawyer Otiende Amollo.