High profile lawyer quits DPP's office, exposes unfair deal

Former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Philip Murgor has quit two-months after being appointed to prosecute high-profile graft cases at the ODPP.

Mr Murgor cited that he had not been assigned any case to prosecute so far, adding that members of the team who he was appointed with enjoy terms that were not included on his contract.

"Following the formal gazetting of my appointment on January 16, 2019, I have not been assigned any case at all or provided with the required security.

"In the circumstances, the professional and financial opportunity cost has become unaffordable to me as a legal practitioner," he told reporters.

Queen's Counsel and Waweru Gatonye have personal security

Murgor added that there was an unfair deal DPP Noordin Haji gave to others within the special prosecutors' team headed by Queen's Counsel Khawar Qureshi.

He stated that he would be willing to return to the ODPP if his terms were revised to include personal security.

"I'm open to consider an appointment similar to my professional colleagues Mr Waweru Gatonye and Khawar Qureshi QC, which will be on individual case basis, subject to a contract and with adequate personal security" he stated.

Murgor was appointed together with former Mombasa mayor Taib Ali Taib and Public-Private Partnerships Petition Committee chairman James Kihara.

Mr Murgor noted that he had no personal issue with the DPP or the Directorate Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, insisting that his working terms were not compatible with his status.

“As individuals, Mr Haji and Mr (George) Kinoti are great guys, but the enabling environment has not been created for a senior and experienced advocate, who has plenty of choice, to be a standby prosecutor,” he noted.