Petition filed seeking removal of KeRRA boss Philemon Kandie over June protests
Mucunu accuses Kandie of violating multiple provisions of the Constitution, including abuse of office, breach of public trust, misuse of public resources, and failure to uphold national values as stipulated under Chapter Six.
A Kenyan has filed a petition in court seeking the removal of the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Philemon Kandie, over allegations that he financed and coordinated violent, politically motivated protests in June 2025.
The petitioner, Wahome Mucunu, an advocate of constitutional governance, alleges that Kandie used his position to channel state funds through shell companies and contractors linked to KeRRA in support of a campaign purportedly led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
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“Intelligence and investigative reports have linked procurement accounts and logistical support for the violent groups to entities associated with the KeRRA boss, who remains a serving public officer drawing a salary from taxpayer funds,” court documents state.
Mucunu accuses Kandie of violating multiple provisions of the Constitution, including abuse of office, breach of public trust, misuse of public resources, and failure to uphold national values as stipulated under Chapter Six.
According to the petition, the protests led to widespread violence, destruction of property, disruption of public services, economic sabotage, injuries, and loss of life. Mucunu contends that the events, while presented as political dissent, were in reality criminal operations that undermined national peace and cohesion.
Protesters along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on June 25, 2025. (Justine Ondieki)
“The demonstrations were not peaceful. They involved storming public buildings, looting businesses, attacking law enforcement, and inciting ethnic tensions,” the court papers read.
“All this was made possible through illicit financing directly tied to the Respondent's office,” Mucunu adds.
He insists that Kandie should be held personally accountable for the economic and human toll of the unrest, arguing that public servants must be held to the highest standards of integrity and accountability.
“The actions of the Respondent are not just unconstitutional—they are dangerous and destabilising. They threaten national unity and erode public confidence in governance,” the petition states.
Mucunu is seeking several orders from the court, including a declaration that the Respondent has violated the Constitution and committed gross misconduct, and a permanent injunction barring him from holding any public office.
He is also calling for an order compelling the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the alleged misuse of KeRRA funds, an order directing the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to probe Kandie’s role in alleged ethnic incitement and directions to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to open criminal proceedings against him for funding unrest.
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