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Nema boss Wahungu in court bid to stop prosecution over Solai dam tragedy

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Nema director-general Geoffrey Wahungu. FILE PHOTO | NMG

National Environment Management Authority (Nema) Director-General Geoffrey Wahungu has moved to court seeking to stop his prosecution over the Solai dam tragedy that killed 47 people in Nakuru County in May.

Prof Wahungu is seeking to restrain the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) from prosecuting him in connection with the collapsed dam, arguing that as head of Nema, he is not "remotely connected with the operations or the structural competence of the Solai dam."

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Prof Wahungu said he was detained on August 8 at Industrial Area Police Station by detectives who interrogated him for hours, arguing that his predicament was triggered by powerful forces whose buildings have been targeted for demolitions in Nairobi.

The Nema boss claims that a day to his arrest on August 7, he received calls from individuals who threatened him with unspecified consequences if he does not stop the demolitions.

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“An order of prohibition, prohibiting the respondents by himself, agents and/servants from arresting, prosecuting the applicant in any pretended criminal charges alleged to arise from and/or related to collapse of Solai dam,” read the order sought by Prof Wahungu.

Prof Wahungu suit comes a month after nine people charged with manslaughter among them the owner of ill-fated dam, Perry Mansukh.

Nakuru County Water Director Johnson Njuguna was also arraigned in court over the dam tragedy.

They all denied the charges.