NAIROBI, Kenya, June 26 – The High Court has dismissed attempts by the Attorney General and other respondents to have Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah’s public debt petition thrown out, allowing the case to proceed to a full hearing.
The petition challenges the accumulation of about Sh7 trillion in Kenya’s public debt over the past decade and names the former Auditor General, former Controller of Budget, the current Auditor General and the current Controller of Budget among the respondents.
The court also directed that the petition be amended before the matter proceeds.
“This is a significant victory for transparency, accountability, and the Kenyan people,” Omtatah said in a statement posted on X.
“We will amend our petition as directed by the Court and return on 22nd July 2026. Our mission remains unchanged: to establish how Kenya accumulated trillions in public debt, how the funds were utilized, whether the public benefited and whether the law was followed at every stage.”
However, the court upheld the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) claim of diplomatic immunity and struck it out of the case.
Omtatah said he would pursue a separate legal challenge against the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1963.
“While we respect the Court’s decision, accountability for Kenya’s debt burden cannot end there,” he said.
“We are preparing a separate legal challenge to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1963, against the Constitution of Kenya 2010 to ensure all actors involved in Kenya’s debt processes are subjected to proper scrutiny.”
The case is scheduled for mention on July 22, 2026, after the amended petition is filed.
