Court orders the removal of MP's images and name from publicly funded projects

By  Sam Kiplagat

Court Reporter

Nation Media Group

The High Court has ordered two state agencies to remove the name and portraits of Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo from road signs and other infrastructure funded by taxpayers within the constituency.

The court directed the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to erase or remove the MP’s name and images from all publicly funded road projects in Kajiado North.

It also ordered the Kajiado North National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Committee to remove the images from school walls, chiefs’ offices, camps and other public places where they had been erected using public funds.

In its ruling, the High Court in Kajiado declared that personal branding of publicly funded projects violates the national values and principles of good governance under Article 10 of the Constitution.

“The administrators of public institutions affected in this case are hereby directed to immediately remove or erase all personal names, portraits of all publicly funded projects within Kajiado North constituency,” the court said.

The orders followed a petition by city lawyer Sheria Mtaani and Shadrack Wambui, which accused Mr Ngogoyo of emblazoning his name, portrait and partisan slogans on public infrastructure across the constituency, including projects initiated before he was elected MP.

“In many instances, his portrait and name consume a disproportionate portion of the signage, dwarfing essential public information, and converting public projects into instruments of private political aggrandizement,” the lobby said.

It argued that the practice undermines good governance, public trust and fair competition in political processes.

However, the court ruled that the organisation had not proved to the required standard that Mr Ngogoyo had violated the law.

The court noted that a May 2025 report by the Senate’s Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee had expressly condemned the practice, describing it as unconstitutional and unethical.

The Senate recommended that all public projects be labelled “Courtesy of Taxpayers of Kenya” and called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Office of the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget to enforce compliance and take disciplinary action against those responsible for violations.

Mr Ngogoyo opposed the petition, arguing that his conduct as a State officer was guided by Article 7(1) of the Constitution.

He denied involvement in or financing the branding of any NG-CDF project or road in Kenya.

In the petition, the lobby argued that placing personal images, names and slogans on publicly funded projects misrepresented the source of the projects and could unduly influence voters.

It said the practice distorted the constitutional obligation to provide the public with timely, accurate and objective information, replacing it with a misleading personal narrative intended to advance political interests.

The petition identified several institutions and projects allegedly branded with the MP’s name or image, including Nkaimurunya High School, Kiserian Primary School, Arap Moi Primary School, Nkaimurunya ICT Centre (HUB), Bul Tosheka-ICT Hub Road, Ezekiel Mutel-Roimen AP Camp and Entomoto Chief’s Camp.

The lobby maintained that public infrastructure should serve the interests of citizens rather than be used to promote individual politicians.

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