Developing: Court halts vetting and appointment of Principal Secretary nominees

Defense, intelligence and foreign relations committee Chair Nelson Koech (left) and his Vice Bashir Abdullahi at work. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Labour Court Judge Nzioki wa Makau has stopped the vetting and appointment of Principal Secretaries until a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya is heard on November 21, 2022.

In a court order, Justice Makau ruled: "Pending hearing of this application inter partes on November 21, 2022, a conservatory order is hereby issued restraining and/or barring the Respondents from receiving or if already received the list of nominees, barring the processing, vetting, or in any way proceeding or processing the nomination for appointment and/or appointing the first to 51st Interested parties herein as Principal Secretaries as communicated vide a Press Release dated November 2, 2022, by Mr. Felix K. Koskei, Head of Public Service."

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) had, on November 11, 2022, filed a petition in court challenging the list of the PS nominees.

LSK argued that the list lacked gender, tribal and regional balance.

"That from the list of nominees, the nomination does not take into account the regional and tribal balance, the two-thirds gender principle, persons living with disabilities and the youth contrary to the tenets of good governance," reads court documents.

"On the impugned list of 51 interested parties, 13 are members of the Kalenjin community from Rift Valley region, 13 from Central Kenya region to the detriment of the other 40 tribes and communities in Kenya."