Court Nullifies 128 Parastatal Appointments Made by President Uhuru

The High Court has nullified the appointment of 128 heads of parastatals by President Kenyatta.

A three-judge bench declared the appointments made in 2018 unconstitutional, saying they were made in an opaque manner.

The list featured key election losers as well as former government officials.

They included retired Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Julius Karangi, former Kenya National Union of Teachers chairman Mudzo Nzili, former Mombasa gubernatorial candidate Suleiman Shabhal, former governors Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo), Doyo Godana (Isiolo), among others.

“People of Kenya desired that parastatal appointments must be competitive, fair and transparent considering persons with disabilities and Kenya’s diverse communities,” the three judges ruled.

The ruling followed a case filed by Katiba Institute and the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG). The petitioners challenged the appointments, arguing that the law was not followed.

The court ruled that government appointments should be made transparently, including the declaration of vacancies and interviews to give all Kenyans a fair chance.

Various Statutes that allow appointments to parastatals without requiring fair competition or merit were also nullified by the court.