Financial Commendation Meets Political Condemnation

NYERI, KENYA – Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga’s administration received a strong endorsement for its financial management on Monday, November 3, 2025, from a key Senate oversight committee, even as the governor confronts a significant legal challenge to his fitness for office. The Senate’s County Public Investments Committee, during a session in Nairobi, commended Governor Kahiga for what it termed “good governance and proper management of county funds” following a review of the Auditor-General's report for the 2023/2024 financial year. [8] This praise stands in sharp opposition to a petition filed in the High Court in late October 2025, which seeks to declare him unfit to hold public office due to alleged inflammatory remarks. [2, 3, 4]

Senate Oversight Finds Prudence

Appearing before the committee chaired by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, Governor Kahiga presented Nyeri County's financial records, which the senators found to be in good order. The committee confirmed that expenditures were well-documented and compliant with the Public Finance Management Act of 2012. [8] Senator Osotsi highlighted Nyeri's exceptional performance in managing public empowerment funds, noting the county showed significant progress in recovering loans where many others have failed. [8] “This is the first county we are witnessing some level of good management in the empowerment funds; the rest are giving us a lot of problems,” Senator Osotsi stated during the hearing on Monday. [8] His assessment was supported by Nominated Senator Peris Tobiko, who also acknowledged the governor’s performance. “Chair, I think this governor has done fairly well in managing the majority of the funds. Compared to his colleagues, he is better off,” Senator Tobiko said. [8]

High Court Petition Alleges Gross Misconduct

While the Senate committee focused on financial accountability, a separate process is scrutinizing the governor's conduct. A petition filed on October 29, 2025, by the Bunge la Mwananchi lobby group and several individuals, seeks Governor Kahiga's removal from office. [2, 5] The case is not based on financial impropriety but on controversial remarks the governor allegedly made at a public function on October 17, 2024, following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. [4, 5] The petitioners argue that the governor's statements, delivered in Kikuyu, amounted to hate speech and mockery, threatening national cohesion. [2] They accuse him of gross misconduct and violating constitutional articles on national values, leadership, and integrity. [5] The lawsuit asks the court to suspend Kahiga from his duties pending the case's outcome and compel the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to launch a formal investigation. [4, 6]

A Tale of Two Accountabilities

The divergence between the Senate's findings and the High Court petition highlights the multifaceted nature of public office accountability in Kenya. While national oversight bodies may provide a clean bill of health on fiscal management, local political dynamics and personal conduct remain potent grounds for challenge. The controversy surrounding Governor Kahiga’s remarks triggered widespread condemnation from across the political divide, including from his own United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, and led to his resignation as the Vice Chairperson of the Council of Governors. [14, 26, 31]

Locally, however, the governor appears to retain political support. Members of the Nyeri County Assembly have publicly dismissed any possibility of initiating impeachment proceedings, describing the calls to do so as politically motivated and aimed at destabilizing the region. [7, 9] Speaking on behalf of his colleagues on October 31, 2025, Chinga Ward MCA Kiruga Thuku affirmed that no impeachment motion was under consideration, arguing that such a move would be a “waste of time and resources” unless it concerned constitutional issues like misappropriation of funds. [7] This local backing, combined with the Senate's positive audit review, provides Governor Kahiga with significant political capital to counter the legal and public pressure stemming from his remarks. The situation places the judiciary at the center of determining whether the governor's alleged misconduct constitutes grounds for removal, irrespective of his administration's financial performance.