Advocate Ndegwa Njiru served as the lead counsel representing the Meru County Assembly in the impeachment of Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
Njiru was leading a legal team comprising Mwangi Ndegwa, Mwirigi Eric Muriuki, Mwereru Boniface Mawira, Antony Mwenda, Ngure Benson Kinyua, Baptista Muriuki Kanyaru and Linda Nkirote Kithinji.
He won the case after the Senate upheld the impeachment of Mwangaza on the grounds of gross violation, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.
One of the key arguments that has since gone viral was when Ndegwa told Mwangaza that she was a “pathological liar who has always grieved and hidden under the guise of gender”.
Ndegwa Njiru is one of the most sought-after lawyers when it comes to impeachment cases.
In a past media interview, Ndegwa said he is not just motivated by public interest in any of the impeachment cases, but rather with where justice falls.
Impeachment Motions Where Ndegwa Njiru was the Lead Counsel
He first gained widespread recognition in June 2020 during the Senate hearing of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru’s impeachment by the county assembly.
At the time, he was representing the Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and went head-to-head with Waiguru’s husband, Kamotho Waiganjo, who was defending her in the case.
Ndegwa was praised for being eloquent and giving Waiguru’s witnesses a hard time during cross-examination over alleged abuse of office and procurement issues.
However, he did not win, as the Senate committee cleared Waiguru of all the allegations she was facing.
Also Read: Kawira Mwangaza to Face All Senators as Senate Rejects Committee Way
Five months later, he would yet again represent Nairobi County MCAs in the impeachment of Mike Mbuvi Sonko, who was the governor at the time.
The lawyer had taken the governor to task over the stalled Dandora Stadium project which was under investigation as a result of shoddy workmanship by the contractor.
“I believe wherever Catherine Ndereba is, wherever Kipchoge Keino is, those who are dead are indeed turning in their graves,” Njiru said.
Sonko was later impeached on December 17, 2020.
Other Impeachment Cases Ndegwa was Involved in
Ndegwa has also been involved in almost all the high-profile impeachment cases, including those of Embu Governor Martin Wambora and former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu. He defended both.
Waititu and Wambora were impeached but Ndegwa secured court orders restraining the County Assembly from impeaching the governor.
These orders came just in time a moment before the then Deputy Governor was sworn in as the Governor as per the law.
The youthful advocate also represented Mohamed Abdi Mohamud, the Wajir governor who was impeached on Monday, May 17, 2021.
Ndegwa faced off against Senior Counsel Ahmednassir Abdulahi, who represented the Wajir County Assembly.
The governor was, however, impeached on grounds of financial impropriety, abuse of office, gross misconduct, and violation of the constitution.
Also Read: Kawira Mwangaza’s Last Fighting Chance Despite Successful Impeachment
His Legal Career and Education
Ndegwa, who was admitted to the bar in 2011, says he is passionate about impeachment cases because he wants to protect and strengthen devolution, which he calls the engine of growth.
He said it cannot be protected “if we don’t speak to the cause of accountability and transparency, especially prudent use of public resources.”
“If we can realize the principles and purpose of devolution in this country, it will take us a few years to be in the second world, not the third world,” he said.
“This [impeachment law] is a new emerging field in our jurisprudence and it’s highly constitutional and political.”
Ndegwa was born in Gichugu constituency, Kirinyaga County, and has forged a name for himself from modest beginnings.
He has extensive experience in constitutional litigation, devolution and contracts negotiations with a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the Kampala International University and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.
He attended Kerugoya Municipality School, Kianyaga High School. and Kampala International University to study Bachelors law before returning to Kenya to join the Kenya School of Law.
Growing up, Ndegwa used to accompany his father to court hearings, where he admired the lawyers’ arguments and aspired to be like them.
“As early as 1993, Mzee a teacher by profession used to take us to court and he was mentoring us without knowing it,” he said at a past interview.
Ndegwa founded Ndegwa and Ndegwa Advocates, where he works with his younger brother and wife.
In 2013, he ran for the Gichugu constituency parliamentary seat under the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) party ticket, finishing in fourth place among nine candidates.
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