The High Court dismissed a case in which activist Fredrick Bikeri sued Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over statements he made about National Intelligence Service (NIS) leader Noordin Haji during the Anti-finance bill protests
The topic was scheduled for discussion and additional instruction on Monday morning. However, the petitioner's lawyer, Danstan Omari, told the court that they would like to withdraw the case.
“Take notice that the applicant herein, Fredrick Bikeri wishes to wholly and voluntarily withdraw the entire suit dated 28th June 2024 with no orders as to costs,” reads the notice of withdrawal.
In the case, Bikeri filed a lawsuit, claiming that DP Gachagua's statements on Haji were "untruthful, inciting, and unlawful" and did not fulfill the anticipated standards for a public officer under Articles 73 and 75 of the Constitution, as well as the Leadership and Integrity Act.
"The statements made by the 2nd Respondent during a press conference held on Wednesday, 25th June 2024, are misconceived, improper, untruthful, and unlawful. They were made with the intent to incite hatred against the concerned party and fall short of the standards expected from a public officer of his position as the Deputy President of Kenya," reads the court papers.
In a news conference on June 26, Gachagua accused Haji of 'failing the president' by not disclosing the reality on the ground before civilians came to the streets.
This was consistent with the June 25 events, in which people stormed parliament.
Gachagua argued that if Haji had done his job properly and made the president aware of the public's view on the Finance Bill 2024, the protests wouldn't have happened.
