Waititu slaps Kabogo with Sh50m bill in degree case

Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu, who has filed a Sh50.9 million bill of costs case against Kiambu Governor William Kabogo. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kabogo and Mr Waititu will be battling for the Kiambu gubernatorial seat in the August 8 general elections.
  • Justice Joseph Onguto dismissed Mr Kabogo’s case with costs to Mr Waititu on December 7 last year.

Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu is seeking Sh50.9 million from Kiambu Governor William Kabogo as a bill of costs for filing a defence in a court case.

Mr Waititu claims in a suit in the High Court that he spent the money for his defence in the case filed by Mr Kabogo alleging that he (Waititu) had forged a degree certificate. Mr Kabogo lost the case.

Justice Joseph Onguto dismissed Mr Kabogo’s case with costs to Mr Waititu on December 7 last year.

Mr Kabogo and Mr Waititu will be battling for the Kiambu gubernatorial seat in the August 8 elections.

In the bill of costs, Mr Waititu’s lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui says the amount arises from research and court presentations in the case where the governor had asked the court to declare Mr Waititu unfit to hold public office for lack of a university education.

Mr Kabogo had alleged that Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu is a “distinct person from Clifford Ndung’u Waititu.”

The governor had alleged that the MP had breached the Leadership and Integrity Act for allegedly possessing a fake degree from the University of Punjab in India.

But the judge ruled that the issue could be dealt with by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Justice Onguto also pointed out that it was not the first time issues surrounding the integrity of the legislator had come up and that he considered the IEBC had dealt with it initially.

While defending himself in the suit, Mr Waititu had accused Mr Kabogo of merely seeking to wrongly use the court process to tarnish his political name and support.

The case on the costs demanded by Mr Waititu will be heard on February 22 by the High Court taxing master.