•President William Ruto handed the plum job to Waititu as a commissioner early December through a gazette notice dated December 2, 2022.
•But an activist Peter Odhiambo wants the appointment of Waititu quashed over what he has termed as integrity concerns.
Image: FILE
The appointment of former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu to the Nairobi Rivers Commission is in limbo after an activists moved to court to block the move.
President William Ruto handed the plum job to Waititu as a commissioner early December through a gazette notice dated December 2, 2022.
But an activist Peter Odhiambo wants the appointment of Waititu quashed over what he has termed as integrity concerns.
The activist wants the court to declare Waititu unfit to hold a public office saying the former governor has failed to meet the moral and ethical standards and requirements.
Odhiambo has cited a pending graft court case against Waititu and his impeachment as Kiambu governor and raised concern that he (Waititu) lacks the integrity and competence to be handed a public office.
The activist has termed Waititu's appointment as going against the Constitution.
“Mr. Waititu is currently facing graft charges related to abuse of office, conflict of interest and dealing with suspect property,” Odhiambo says.
“Courts have previously ruled that a person impeached through a political process is permanently barred from holding public office,” he argues.
In November, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji announced that Sh588million graft case against Waititu will proceed to full trial even after the High Court terminated charges against five others.
The five who had been charged alongside Waititu were Zacharia Mbugua, Joyce Ngina, Simon Kang’ethe, Anslem Wanjiku, and Samuel Muigai.
The case now remains with Waititu, his wife Susan Ndung’u, Lucas Mwangi, six county employees, businessman Charles Chege and his wife Beth Wangechi. (Directors of Testimony Enterprises).
The case will now be heard on May 15-18, June 19-26 and July 3-6, 2023.
There will be a mention date on February 15 when the DPP and EACC will supply the court with a list of remaining witnesses.
The commission that will be chaired by Pamela A. Olet is expected to hold office for a term of three years renewable once based on performance and is part of Ruto's grand plan to clean up Nairobi City and restore the “filthy” capital to its former glory.
According to Ruto, the Nairobi Rivers Commission has been tasked to “Reclaim the rivers of Nairobi as a spine to the city's blue and green infrastructure for a better urban environment and quality of life."
Ruto had earlier explained that his dream is to sort out the filth in the capital city and make Nairobi a place where people can enjoy it and enterprises can grow by getting rid of sewage and all other effluents that are going into the city's rivers.
“If you look at our rivers in Nairobi, it is a sad story and I want to assure the residents of Nairobi that we will make the Nairobi River what it should be,” said President Ruto.