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The High Court has ruled that the swearing-in of Ahmed Mukhtar as the Governor of Wajir County and consequent appointment of Hashim Musa as his deputy is null and void. The court reinstated Former Governor Mohamed Abdi and ordered the current governor Mukhtar ordered to go back to his office as the Deputy Governor.

Ahmed Mukhtar assumed office after the Senate confirmed the impeachment of his then-boss, Mohammed Abdi, in May 2021. Abdi had, before the Senate’s decision, been impeached by Members of the Wajir County Assembly who accused him of abuse of office, irregular expenditures and failure to update them on the status of development projects among others.

A Senate committee chaired by Nyamira senator Okong’o Omogeni, which was tasked with investigating Abdi’s ouster by the Wajir County Assembly, had found the ex-governor culpable of running down the health care system in the county thus compromising the right to health of the residents.

The former governor, who swore to challenge his impeachment in the corridors of justice, can now heave a sigh of relief after the High Court ruling. Abdi and Mukhtar will now be forced to rekindle their relationship as their term in office draws nearer to a close.