NAIROBI, Kenya – Kajiado North MP Onesmus Nguro Ngogoyo has been taken to court over allegations of misusing public resources by branding public infrastructure with his name, image, and political slogans—raising constitutional questions around leadership ethics and misuse of taxpayer funds.
The constitutional petition, filed at the High Court by civil society group Sheria Mtaani na Shadrach Wambui, accuses the legislator of “converting public infrastructure into personal political billboards,” thereby violating constitutional values and principles of public service.
According to the court documents, Ngogoyo is alleged to have plastered his portrait and personal slogans on a range of public facilities—including roads, schools, and dispensaries—some of which predate his tenure and were not initiated or funded by him.
“This brazen personalization of public projects amounts to a misuse of taxpayer resources for private political aggrandizement,” reads the petition, citing violations of Articles 27, 73, 75, 201, and 232 of the Constitution.
The petitioner argues that MPs do not have an executive mandate to execute development projects and that such work is done by government agencies like KeRRA, KURA, KeNHA, and the NG-CDF.
By branding these projects as personal achievements, the suit claims, Ngogoyo misleads constituents and undermines public accountability.
“The 1st Respondent appropriates public honour and visibility without legal or democratic sanction,” states the petition.
Lawyer Shadrach Wambui says the trend promotes personality cults, distorts civic education, and gives incumbents unfair electoral advantages by leveraging public infrastructure as campaign tools.
The suit references an earlier submission by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to the Senate, which condemned the growing practice of personal branding on state-funded projects. The EACC termed it unethical and in breach of the Leadership and Integrity Act.
“In a country where millions lack access to food, education, and health services, it is unconscionable for scarce resources to be spent on plastering a politician’s face across public assets,” the petitioner added.
The petition further argues that the practice violates the Election Offences Act by covertly using state resources to build political capital ahead of elections—amounting to misuse of office and unfair competition.
The court has not issued any interim orders, instead directing that the motion be served for directions on July 22.
“The motion is NOT certified urgent… no interim orders will issue at this stage,” the court noted.
If successful, the petition could set a significant precedent on the misuse of public infrastructure for political self-promotion.
