Nairobi, Kenya, Mar 27 – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has assigned former nominated Senator Millicent Omanga a role in the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services after she was appointed by President Ruto as the Chief Administrative Secretary at the security docket.
Omanga will be in charge of reforms in the Civil Registration Services (CRS), the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and the Department of Refugee Affairs (DRA).
Her counterparts former Narok governor Samuel Ole Tunai, and Mohamud Saleh have been assigned to the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration and State Department for Correctional Services (in charge of reforms in the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS), Borstal Institutions and the Probation Department).
The Interior CS said that the move aims to promote effective delivery of services.
On March 24, the High Court stopped fifty newly appointed Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) from assuming office pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Katiba Institute.
Justice Hedwig Ong’undi also temporarily barred the 50 CASs from earning any salary, remuneration and any benefit until the court rules on the matter.
“Having read through the annexures, I am satisfied that interim conservatory orders are necessary. I therefore grant Prayer No 2 of the Notice of Motion in the interim,” Justice Ong’undi said Friday.
The case will be mentioned on March 28 for further directions.
According to the petitioners, the President cannot constitutionally create an office in the Public Service except upon the express recommendations of the of the Public Service Commission.
They further argue that the President by nominating the 50 CASs to the office of the Chief Administrative Secretaries against an approved office establishment of 23 has unconstitutionally created 27 extra positions.
“Article 3 of the Constitution commands all interested parties to reject any unconstitutional appointment, office, or benefit as their personal obligation to defend and protect the constitution,” argued the petitioners.
The petition came a day after the 50 CAS were sworn in office.
