Mombasa WhatsApp group leadership dispute ends up in High Court
Courts
By
Joackim Bwana
| Feb 10, 2026
The administration of a Mombasa-based Luo WhatsApp group, Nyikwa Ramogi Ajwan'g, has ended up in the High Court over a leadership dispute.
The group, boasting 530 members, wants the High Court in Mombasa to order the reinstatement of former Nyali MP Awiti Bolo, John Oucho, Cyrus Nyamita and Mark Otweyo as the chief admins of the group.
In a petition, Oucho and Nyamita want the court to reinstate the four as the duly and rightfully elected administrators.
They accused Dennis Ombok, Stephen Amayo, Pius Oketch, and the Director of Social Development of Mombasa County of changing the official WhatsApp group name from Nyikwa Ramogi Ajwan'g Mombasa to Oganda Ramogi Ajwan'g.
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The petitioners accused Ombok’s led faction of assuming administrative control of the WhatsApp groups on December 16, 2025, without consulting members.
Oucho, who is the group’s vice chair, said that they were removed as duly elected officials and members without notice, reasons, or due process.
“The impugned acts are ongoing, deliberate, and calculated to hijack the organisation, derail its lawful registration process under the Community Groups Registration Act, No. 30 of 2022, and permanently fracture its membership,” said Oucho.
He said that the organisation's WhatsApp platforms constitute its primary and exclusive governance infrastructure, functioning as its meeting halls, notice boards, offices, and decision-making forums.
Oucho argued that the continued interference amounts to violation of constitutional rights, particularly under Articles 36, 47, and 27 of the Constitution.
He said the WhatsApp group faces irreversible confusion and loss of member confidence, escalation of internal conflict, risk of deceptive registration of a splinter organisation and permanent erosion of organisational autonomy.
“The Director of Social Development of Mombasa County be restrained from registering, recognising, or processing any community organisation bearing a name identical or deceptively similar to Nyikwa Ramogi Ajwan'g Mombasa,” said Oucho.
He said the selective exclusion of specific officials constitutes discriminatory and unequal treatment contrary to Article 27.
Oucho argued that the group’s objectives are promotion of unity, cohesion, and welfare among members; preservation and promotion of cultural identity; community development initiatives; and lawful civic participation free from unlawful interference or capture.
He said that due to the size of the membership and geographical spread, they established a main WhatsApp group for general membership communication and a separate officials' and committee WhatsApp group.
“These WhatsApp platforms became the official and primary governance organs of the organisation, used for convening meetings, issuing notices, and passing resolutions. Communicating official decisions and coordinating organisational activities,” said Oucho.
He said there were no parallel physical offices, and the digital platforms functioned as the organisation's virtual meeting halls, notice boards, and administrative offices.
The Vice Chair claimed that several members have been misled into believing that the organisation has been dissolved or lawfully renamed.
Oucho alleged that Ombok’s faction has either promoted or attempted to promote a splinter group bearing a deceptively similar name, with the intention of misleading members and the registration authorities.