Court Bars State From Taking Away Gun From Uhuru Kenyatta's Son

• John Jomo Kenyatta filed an application in which he accused the state of seeking to revoke his firearm license without citing reasons
• He said the move by the State was aimed at exposing him to security threats, terming the move unconstitutional
• Justice Jairus Ngaah issued orders temporarily barring the state from revoking Jomo's firearm license until the matter he had filed was heard and determined

The High Court has barred the state from withdrawing the license of former president Uhuru Kenyatta's son John Jomo Kenyatta.

Uhuru's son sues State

This was after the former head of state's son filed an application opposing the withdrawal of his firearm.

Jomo filed an application under a certificate of urgency, saying that he was not informed of the reasons for the intended revocation of his certificate despite being in possession of a license.

He argued that the decision by the Firearms Licensing Board to revoke his license was unconstitutional.

Justice Ngaah stopped the firearm licensing from revoking Jomo's gun license until his application was heard and determined.

Reprieve for Uhuru Kenyatta's son in gun case

John Jomo told the Constitutional Court that he was apprehensive that the move to revoke his gun license was a strong arm tactic by the State to deploy brute force to make him a target of criminals.

"The applicant is apprehensive that the first and second respondents may use strong arm tactics; deploy brute force to compel the applicant to surrender his firearms and license and whilst so engaged to attract media attention with the resultant publication that the applicant had been dispossessed his firearms, thus unwittingly inviting criminal elements to target the applicant," read the court papers seen by TUKO.co.ke.

In his ruling, Justice Jairus Ngaah, stopped the Firearm Licensing Board from revoking Jomo's gun permit.

"For purposes of preservation of the substratum of the suit, leave granted shall operate as stay of the first and second respondents' decision, seeking to revoke the applicant's firearm license or demanding surrender of firearm license No. 0000530 or the firearm held under that license without following due process as set out in the Firearms Arms Act, cap. 114," read orders by Ngaah.

The judge added that the application by Jomo was urgent and had merit before delivering the ruling.

Uhuru Kenyatta's son Jomo's firearm license

"The application is thus certified urgent. Upon perusal of the material before me, I am persuaded that application merits leave for the applicant to mount an action for the judicial review orders of certiorari and prohibition. Leave is, therefore, granted in terms of prayers 2 and 3 of the summons," continued the orders.

Jomo has kept a low profile and avoided politics as much as possible.

He is remembered for struggling to address a crowd in Nandi county while in the company of William Ruto when the latter was still his father's deputy.

Uhuru came out guns blazing when individuals suspected to be detectives raided Jomo's home, after which Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced that the raid was to recover guns.