Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru Turns Gachagua's Shareholding Remarks Against High Court Judge
Njiru specifically pointed out that Justice Ogola's wife holds a position in the Kenya Water Towers Agency, an appointment made by the presidency, arguing that this showed evidence of the shareholding sentiments that Gachagua stood firm on, numerous times.
Marvin Chege 
Popular city lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru on Thursday, October 24 opened a can of worms as he joined fellow advocates representing ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in staging their defence for their case to have a three-judge bench of Justices Anthony Mrima, Eric Ogola and Fredah Mugambi recuse themselves from handling his impeachment case.
During a session at the Milimani Law Courts, Njiru, in raising concerns about the judges’ impartiality, singled out Justice Ogola's spouse, wildly claiming that she was a beneficiary of the 'shareholding' in the Kenyan government, a matter whose remarks by Gachagua formed the first out of five grounds for his impeachment by the National Assembly and the Senate.
Njiru specifically pointed out that Justice Ogola's wife holds a position in the Kenya Water Towers Agency, an appointment made by the presidency, arguing that this showed evidence of the shareholding sentiments that Gachagua stood firm on, numerous times.
"One of the issues that was before the impeachment, was that the Deputy President, the petitioner herein, indicated that Kenya is a shareholding country. There are shareholding agreements before you and positions either in parastatals or cooperations were to be shared in accordance with that share agreement," he argued, adding "It is my client’s submission that Justice Eric Ogola’s wife may have been a beneficiary of that shareholding."
Ousted DP Rigathi Gachagua with Cleophas Malala at the Milimani Law Courts on October 22, 2024. /X
Interjecting him was Tharaka Member of Parliament (MP) George Murugara, designated to attend the proceedings on behalf of the National Assembly. "It is extremely unfair and unjust, especially for an advocate to mislead or what we have seen to play to the gallery," Murugara sharply retorted.
Njiru went on to outline that the application also indicated that Justice Ogola's spouse serves in the Kenya Water Towers Agency, an appointment that was done according to a gazette notice for and on behalf of the presidency by Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, adding that the averment was that this was a matter that should have been disclosed at the inception of the proceedings.
Advocate Kibe Mungai backed Njiru's sentiments, revealing the close relationship between Justice Murima and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, a respondent in the case.
"The honourable Judge Mrima and the fourth respondent, Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi are very close friends. The respondent attended the wedding ceremony of the judge and he took a photograph with him," exposed Mungai, further highlighting how Speaker Kingi captioned images from the wedding, where he described the judge as his "long-time friend."
