A Murang’a resident has taken Governor Irungu Kang’ata to court, accusing him of fraudulently using his name in a Senate petition linked to the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 passengers, including 32 Kenyans.
Former driver Davis Mburu Karanja claims his name, alongside seven other ex-staffers of Kang’ata, was included in a petition seeking compensation for victims’ families without his knowledge or consent.
“I had no involvement in the crash, nor any association with its victims, and I never authorized anyone to include my name,” Mburu stated in a sworn affidavit.
Kang’ata, who was a senator at the time, has told the court that those listed were known to him and he only guided them due to a conflict of interest. But Mburu disputes this, insisting none had ties to the crash victims.
Mburu has sued Kang’ata, the Senate, and the Attorney General, naming Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing International Corporation as interested parties given the global scope of the matter.
Through lawyer Soyinka Lempaa, Mburu cites violations of his constitutional rights under Articles 28, 33, 35 and 47. His team argues Kang’ata “abused his position” by misrepresenting former employees as bereaved relatives.
Court records show the Senate Clerk later admitted in writing that Mburu’s name was included “by mistake” without verification. But Mburu alleges that after raising concerns, he was subjected to harassment, including a politically-instigated arrest at the Thika Law Courts.
He now seeks orders stopping Kang’ata and the Senate from using his name in the petition, as well as the release of all documents tied to the matter.
High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi has directed Kang’ata and the Senate to respond within 14 days after being served.
