Kajiado North MP Onesmus Nguro Ngogoyo is facing a constitutional petition accusing him of misusing public resources by branding taxpayer-funded infrastructure with his personal image, name, and political slogans.
The petition, filed before the High Court by civic group Sheria Mtaani na Shadrach Wambui, alleges that Ngogoyo violated multiple constitutional provisions by turning public infrastructure into personal political billboards, a practice the group says fosters personality cults, undermines electoral integrity, and misleads the public about the role of elected officials.
According to the court documents, the legislator is said to have adorned public assets such as roads, schools, and health facilities with his portrait and slogans, including on projects that were not initiated, funded, or implemented during his tenure. Some of the branded developments reportedly predate his time in office.
“This brazen personalization of public projects amounts to a misuse of taxpayer resources for private political aggrandizement,” the petitioner argues, citing violations of Articles 27, 73, 75, 201, and 232 of the Constitution.
The petition underscores that infrastructure projects are executed by state agencies like KeRRA, KURA, KeNHA, and NG-CDF committees, not Members of Parliament. MPs, it notes, have an oversight mandate under Article 95 of the Constitution, but not executive authority in project delivery.
“By branding himself on these projects, the 1st Respondent appropriates public honour and visibility without legal or democratic sanction,” the petition states.
Advocate Shadrach Wambui, representing the petitioner, contends that such acts distort public understanding of development processes and compromise transparency and accountability. The petition also references a submission by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to the Senate earlier this year, in which the agency condemned the branding of public projects as unethical and contrary to the Leadership and Integrity Act.
Further, the petition accuses Ngogoyo of breaching the Election Offences Act by subtly using public resources for political gain, giving him an unfair advantage ahead of elections.
“In a country where millions lack access to food, education, and health services, it is unconscionable for scarce resources to be spent on plastering a politician’s face across public assets,” the petitioner laments.
The court, however, declined to issue interim orders, stating that the motion was not certified as urgent. It directed that the petition be served and scheduled for mention on July 22 for further directions.
Written By Rodney Mbua
