Nairobi, Kenya: A petition has been filed at the high court to stop the prosecution of Nairobi governor Evans Kidero over assault claims.
A Nairobi voter, Alex Nchore Ochako has through a certificate of urgency filed a case in which he claims that the intended prosecution of Kidero is meant to humiliate and politically harass the Governor. He states that political forces out to scuttle the fight against corruption were spearheading the campaign against Kidero.
“The governor is being fought because he has been fighting corruption, incompetence and impunity by the respondents,” the petition reads.
Through lawyer Evans Ondieki, he claims that the prosecution of Kidero is being pursued for political reasons and not to achieve criminal prosecution objectives.
”The DPP has treated the Governor in a very inhuman and degrading manner and subjected him to extreme humiliation,” the petitioner claims.
On Tuesday, the DPP, Keriako Tobiko said that he had forwarded to the Criminal investigations Department (CID) a file containing the complaints made against Kidero by Nairobi women representative, Rachel Shebesh.
The DPP hinted at the possibility of the police charging Kidero for assaulting Shebesh in March when she led a demonstration to the governor’s office in the wake of a strike by city Hall workers. Shebesh has also been targeted for prosecution on claims of causing public disturbance.
In the petition filed Thursday, the petitioner, who says he is a voter in Ruaraka constituency, argues that the intended prosecution of the governor has denied the parties to the dispute a chance to settle the matter out of court.
“The value of negotiations and adjudication of issues out of court is sacrosanct n ought to be respected,” the petition reads.
“The intended prosecution is discriminatory and a manifestation of double standards by the respondents as there are more serious offences that have not been addressed,” he argues.
Other than the DPP, others named as respondents are Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police.
The application will be heard Friday morning.
By Wilfred Ayaga, The Standard
