The ruling by Senate Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki that governors who have been barred from stepping in the office can continue discharging their mandate has raised concern among politicians.
Kindiki, who is also the Senator for Tharaka Nithi, said county bosses who have been banned from accessing their offices by courts, can continue carrying out their duties as governors, even without physically stepping into their county offices.
The ruling, however, did not augur well with some politicians from Central Kenya such as former Mukurweini MP Kabando Wa Kabando who questioned the wisdom behind it.
"Everyone is INNOCENT until PROVEN GUILTY, but it's politically unwise, violates public good, and is defeatist for OTHERWISE SOBER Senate Dep Spkr Prof Kindiki to rule that Governors duly charged with GRAFT may stay in office. Makes one fear PhD may mean "permanent head damage!" Kabando tweeted on Friday.
Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo raised the same concern and wondered whether Kindiki was bribed.
"Was K Kindiki paid to issue the communication he issued on the two Governors ??? If so we are done as a nation," Kabogo remarked in a tweet.
Responding to Kabogo's post, Kabando said: "I was also flabbergasted. He’s a professor of law. Why then?"
Kindiki made the ruling while rejecting a motion by Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina seeking to grant a deputy governor absolute powers to run the county in case the substantive governor is absent.
Following the directive, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, who is facing a multi-million corruption case and has been barred from office, announced he will establish a parallel office in Kiambu town and continue discharging his duties.
“From tomorrow (Friday) I will be in office in Kiambu where you call all come for services as it were before,” he said.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, however, has warned Waititu and his Samburu counterpart Moses Lenolkulal, who is also facing a graft case, against opening parallel offices, threatening to arrest them.