The Nairobi County will have to wait a little longer to have a new cabinet in place after a court in Kenya’s capital issued a conservatory order setting aside the vetting process.
This is after the Nubian rights forum and the Association of Muslim Lawyers filed a petition before the court.
“The conservatory order is hereby issued staying, setting aside vetting and approval of the announced County Executive Committee Member nominees and nominees to position of Secretary and senior advisor of the county governor made by the Governor ( 1st respondent) on October 26, 2022,” reads the order.
The Association of Muslim Lawyers and the Nubian rights forum are the first and second respondents respectively.
The first and second respondents are Governor Johnson Sakaja and County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi.
The vetting of Sakaja’s Cabinet was to start on Monday, November 14, 2022, and take three days.
Last month, Nairobi City Muslim politicians and consortium organizations threatened to move to court to challenge Sakaja’s appointments, saying they were not represented.
The organizations faulted Sakaja’s list of nominations comprising 10 CECs and another nine senior employees in his cabinet claiming that no individual from the Islam group was shortlisted.
The Nubians living in Kibra constituency raised concerns over the appointments, saying it was not inclusive and that the minority community were excluded in totality.
Nubians Right Forum Managing Director Shafi Ali faulted Sakaja for not considering the Nubians Community in the appointments despite being Kibra origins.
Sakaja named Charles Kerich as the CEC for Finance and Economic Planning, Brian Mulama (talents, skills, development and care), Patrick Mbogo (mobility and works), former Lands chief officer Stephen Mwangi (buildings and urban planning), Ibrahim Auma (administration and personnel), Rosemary Kariuki (hustlers and business opportunities), Maureen Njeri (Green Nairobi), Anastacia Mutethia (health, wellness and nutrition) and Susan Silantoi (inclusivity, public participation and customer service).
Former Westlands MP Fred Gumo’s son Michael Gumo was named as CEC for Innovation and Digital Economy while Musumba has been retained as the county secretary.
Sakaja also named David Njoroge as his chief of staff, Lawrence Wambua, who was the former CEC for Environment, as his economic affairs adviser, Elias Mutuma (legal adviser), Samora Otieno (health adviser), William Ndung’u ‘Fazul’(political adviser) and Washington Yotto Ochieng as his mobility adviser.
The Association of Muslim Lawyers and the Nubian rights forum are the first and second respondents respectively.
