The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has filed a case in court seeking to revoke the appointment of all Cabinet Secretaries that were on Thursday, August 8, 2024, sworn in at a State House event overseen by President William Ruto.
KHRC, in a petition filed together with Wanjiru Gikonyo on Friday, August 9, 2024, through the Migai Akech & Associates law firm, which has been seen by K24 Digital, has sued the Attorney General as the first respondent and the National Assembly as the second respondent.
CSs as interested parties
The Law Society of Kenya, Transparency International Kenya, and all the Cabinet Secretaries that have since taken oaths to assume their offices have been listed as interested parties.
KHRC and Gikonyo, in an affidavit sworn by Davis Malombe in support of the petition, argue that the vetting process failed to address integrity concerns and lacked adequate public participation, among other issues.
“That despite the vetting process having been initiated by the National Assembly, the parameters for selecting candidates were not made available to the public in advance. Consequently, the public did not have insight into the criteria that were to inform the decisions of the National Assembly’s Appointments Committee,” the affidavit reads in part.
KHRC on swearing-in
They also argue that the swearing-in of the CSs was rushed, leaving a short timeframe limited for the public to interact and appreciate the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment’s report.
“That, although the reasons for the concerns raised in the memoranda were communicated to the public on August 7, 2024, the swearing-in of the appointed Cabinet Secretaries occurred on August 8, 2024, leaving a short timeframe limited for the public to interact and appreciate the report.
“That, the public’s ability to thoroughly interrogate the Appointments Committee Report and thereby exercise their civic rights if they disagreed with the report was greatly hampered by the short timelines between the release of the report and the swearing in of the Cabinet Secretary nominees, and in that manner hampering public participation,” part of the affidavit reads.
#BREAKINGNEWS
KHRC and Wanjiru Gikonyo have filed a case seeking to revoke the appointment of cabinet secretaries, citing that their vetting process failed to address integrity concerns, lacked adequate public participation, among other issues. Review the case for more details… pic.twitter.c*m/sw8RwLEZ9n— KHRC (@thekhrc) August 9, 2024
CSs sworn-in
President William Ruto, on Thursday, August 8, 2024, oversaw the swearing-in of all the 19 Cabinet Secretaries (CS) approved by the Members of Parliament on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
The National Assembly rejected Gender CS nominee Stella Lang’at.
Broad-based cabinet
Ruto, in his new resolve after firing his entire Cabinet, expressed his keenness to constitute a broad-based executive that would see key figures from the opposition make entry into the government.