The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and public activist Wanjiru Gikonyo have petitioned the High Court of Kenya to challenge the recent appointments of cabinet secretaries by President William Ruto. This petition, filed on Thursday, seeks to annul the appointments of all 19 cabinet secretaries sworn in just a day earlier.
The petition named the attorney general and the National Assembly as respondents, while several organizations including the Law Society of Kenya and Transparency International Kenya were listed as interested parties. They argued that the vetting and appointment process did not meet constitutional requirements, citing Articles 10, 73, and 118 of the Kenyan Constitution that uphold public participation and integrity standards.
The KHRC and Gikonyo pointed out several issues, including lack of accountability during the vetting process and the non-disclosure of the vetting criteria by the National Assembly’s Appointments Committee. They noted that of the 813 public memoranda received regarding the nominees’ suitability, 656 were rejected on procedural grounds, compromising substantive public input.
Additionally, the KHRC criticized the rushed nature of the swearing-in ceremony, which occurred just one day after the Appointments Committee’s report was released. This, they argued, did not give the public sufficient time to review the report and exercise their civic rights if they disagreed with the committee’s findings.
The petitioners seek declarations that the vetting process failed to meet constitutional standards and that the appointments are illegal and unconstitutional, along with an order for President Ruto to initiate a new, constitutionally compliant appointment process.
President Ruto recently dismissed nearly his entire cabinet following protests against the Finance Bill, which sought to impose new taxes. After weeks of violent protests, the legislation was withdrawn at the end of June.
For full details on the petition, visit the original article.