Blow to President Ruto's gov't as court stops ongoing vetting of PS nominees

The Employment and Labour Relations court on Monday, November 14 stopped the ongoing vetting of Principal Secretary nominees, pending the hearing and determination of a petition by the Law Society of Kenya.

“A conservatory order is hereby issued restraining and barring the National Assembly from receiving or if already received, barring the processing, vetting or in any way proceeding or processing the nomination for appointment of the 51 nominees as PSs,” Justice Makau's order reads.

In the petition, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) says the list of nominees has not adhered to the tenets of regional and tribal balance, the two-thirds gender principle, persons living with disabilities and the youth, as dictated in the Constitution.

LSK argues that 13 of the 51 PSs are from the Kalenjin community from Rift Valley, while 13 others are from Central Kenya region. This, LSK says, is to the detriment of 40 other tribes and communities, contrary to the "pluralism of the country and depicts regional imbalance."

Only 11 women have been nominated as PSs, with LSK saying that this number does not meet the two-thirds gender requirement, contrary to Article 10 of the Constitution.

If the list is approved by Parliament as currently constituted with the glaring anomalies, LSK says that it may lead to misuse of public resources.