National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has suspended the vetting of Principal Secretary nominees, following a court order stopping the exercise.
In a notification dated November 16, 2022, Wetangula said that the vetting would be suspended until "further notice", when a case file in the Labour Relations Court will be heard and determined.
The vetting of persons nominated to serve as Principal Secretaries commenced on Monday, November 14, 2022, in various Departmental Committees of the National Assembly, after according the public a period of seven days within which to file any submissions on the persons nominated for appointment as Principal Secretaries.
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"On 15th November 2022, the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Constitution Petition No. E186 of 2022, (Dr Magare Gikenyi versus The President of the Republic of Kenya and 55 Others) and in Constitution Petition No. E192 of 2022, (Law Society of Kenya versus The National Assembly and 4 Others), granted Conservatory Orders temporarily staying the vetting process pending inter-parte hearings scheduled for 21st November 2022," Wetangula said in the notification.
"The vetting of persons nominated to serve as Principal Secretaries is hereby suspended forthwith until further notice," Wetangula said.
The Departmental Committees which had already concluded the vetting proceedings and approval hearings have been ordered to suspend any activity relating to reporting to the National Assembly on the proceedings, until further notice.
"I have directed our Litigation Counsel to move the concerned courts to set aside the ex-parte orders based on various legal grounds. Thereafter, the proceedings will resume subject to the directions of the Court," he added.
51 principal secretary appointees
President William Ruto on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, announced a list of 51 appointees to different state departments as Principal Secretaries, who will take over after approval by the National Assembly.
In nominating the PSs who are the accounting officers of ministries, President Ruto retained five technocrats from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
