A rights activist has moved to court to contest President William Ruto’s move to create additional 27 positions in the office of the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS).
In a petition filed at the High Court in Milimani, Mr Eliud Karanja Matindi argues that the Public Service Commission had allowed the creation of only 23 CAS offices.
Mr Karanja says the extra 27 positions were created outside the provisions of the Constitution.
“The Public Service Commission (PSC) proposed, and the President accepted, creation of 23 positions of the office of CAS. The recruitment process carried out by the PSC was on the basis of there being 23 vacant positions,” Karanja says in his petition.
“This notwithstanding and, with no explanation, a constitutional or any other legal basis, the President created an additional 27 positions and nominated 50 persons for approval to be appointed to the office,” he adds.
Mr Karanja has sued the President, Attorney-General Justin Muturi, the National Assembly, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Public Service Commission, controller of Budget and all the 50 CAS nominees.
The activist wants the High Court to issue interim orders restraining the National Assembly from conducting approval hearings for any of the nominees.
Pending the hearing and determination of the matter, Karanja also wants the court to bar President Ruto from appointing any of the nominees if approved by the National Assembly.
“The expressed desire by the President, for the recruitment process to be completed as a matter of urgency and priority, is evident from the speed that has characterised this whole process – from the request for creation of the offices, their creation, shortlisting and interviewing of the candidates and their eventual nomination,” court papers read.
Justice Hedwig Ong’undi certified the matter as urgent and fixed it for mention on March 23, for further directions. The judge noted that the matter is of “great public interest”.
