Ombudsman wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack Lands PS for laxity

Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) chairman Dr. Otiende Amollo

NAIROBI: The Ombudsman has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to immediately sack Lands Principal Secretary Mariamu el Maawy, accusing her of inefficiency in discharging her duties as the ministry's accounting officer.

The Commission on Administrative Justice has written to the President, protesting the manner the PS was handling her duties, and notably complaining about her failure to assist in resolving the many complaints filed with the Ombudsman relating to the ministry.

The commission chaired by Otiende Amollo accused the PS of failing to respond to many correspondences sent or copied to her as the accounting officer, regarding the many complaints on land made by Kenyans, hence frustrating the efforts by the commission to resolve the matters.

The commission cites Ms El Maaway for "prejudicial and improper conduct through inaction, unresponsiveness, inefficiency and ineptitude", thus asking President Kenyatta to relieve her of the job and give it to a more efficient Kenyan.

The commission states that the recommendation was out of its constitutional mandate to "investigate any conduct in State affairs or any act of omission in any public administration".

In his recommending letter to the President, Dr Amollo said the commission had received numerous complaints of maladministration relating to the Ministry of Lands, but despite numerous efforts to have the PS respond to the issues, she has "persistently" failed to act.

He said that the PS's failure had occasioned the complainants' suffering, as she was hindering enhanced service delivery and public administration.

"The continuous unresponsiveness by the ministry, not only impinges on the constitutional values and principles of leadership, integrity and service delivery but also other relevant laws such as the Commission on Administrative Justice Act, Leadership and Integrity Act, Fair Administrative Action Act and Public Service (Values and Principles) Act," states the letter.

Amollo has informed the acting Lands CS Fred Matiang'I of the recommendation sent to the president.

The commission has also given background to the numerous complaints that they have sought responses on from the PS without success.