Kabogo to pay Waititu Sh5.3m as costs in degree court case

Kiambu Governor William Kabogo (left) has been ordered to pay his rival Ferdinand Waititu Sh5.3 million for expenses related to a lawsuit filed by the county boss. PHOTOS | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Waititu had filed a bill of costs amounting to over Sh50 million.
  • The two leaders are fierce political rivals and will face off in the Kiambu governorship race.
  • Mr Kabogo had asked the court to declare Mr Waititu unfit to hold public office, arguing the MP did not have a university degree.

Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has been directed to pay Sh5.3 million to Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu for expenses related to a lawsuit filed by the county boss.

Mr Kabogo had sued to challenge Mr Waititu’s university degree but lost.

Though the MP had filed a bill of costs amounting to over Sh50 million, the deputy registrar found that the Sh5.3 million was sufficient to cover Mr Waititu’s costs for defending the suit.

The two leaders are fierce political rivals and will face off in the Kiambu governorship race on August 8.

Mr Waititu defeated Mr Kabogo in the Kiambu Jubilee primaries.

Mr Kabogo will be defending his seat as an independent candidate.

BILL OF COSTS

In the bill of costs, Mr Waititu’s lawyer, Harrison Kinyanjui, had said that 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, arguing the MP did not have a university degree.

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 Panjab 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 the IEBC had dealt with it initially.

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