Kenya Insights

Tag: Okiya omtatah

  • President Ruto Cannot Transfer Amboseli Ownership Without Amending Constitution, Omtatah Warns

    President Ruto Cannot Transfer Amboseli Ownership Without Amending Constitution, Omtatah Warns

    Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has called out President William Ruto over what he termed as an unconstitutional move to transfer Amboseli National Park to the Kajiado County Government.

    According to Omtatah, any such transfer would be illegal unless the president amends the Constitution. He insists that under Kenyan law, national parks are public property and cannot simply be handed over to counties.

    The senator has urged the government to instead focus on ensuring revenue from the park benefits the Maasai people who live around it and have preserved its ecosystem for generations.

    President Ruto Cannot Transfer Amboseli Ownership Without Amending Constitution, Omtatah Warns
    Senator Okiya Omtatah has raised a constitutional red flag over President Ruto’s plan to transfer Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County. By pointing to the Constitution’s definition of public land, he has exposed the legal flaws in the Cabinet’s decision. [Photo: Courtesy]

    Omtatah Stands Firm on Amboseli Ownership

    Senator Okiya Omtatah has strongly opposed the government’s decision to transfer Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County.

    Speaking at a public forum, Omtatah stated that President Ruto cannot legally hand over the park without changing the Constitution. He warned Kenyans not to be misled by the announcement made by the Cabinet in November 2024, saying it holds no legal weight.

    “If you go to the Constitution of Kenya, it stipulates that a national park is public property,” said Omtatah. “If the president wants to give it to the Maasai, he must change the Constitution.”

    Omtatah said the president’s promise is not only misleading but also impossible under the current legal framework. He accused the government of using populist gestures to gain favor with local communities while avoiding the real issue: equitable distribution of revenue.

    “Without saying that he will change the Constitution, the transfer of the national park is a lie. It will never happen,” he said. “Instead, the government should ensure the money from the park helps the people from this area.”

    The senator’s remarks come months after President Ruto directed the Ministry of Tourism to begin the process of handing over Amboseli to the Kajiado County Government. The move was welcomed by local leaders and communities, but Omtatah says it is a constitutional trap.

    Ruto’s Move Faces Legal Roadblocks

    President Ruto’s directive, which was confirmed in a cabinet dispatch last November, approved the handover of Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County.

    The move followed lobbying by local leaders, including Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, who argued that the Maasai people should have greater control over the land and revenue.

    “The Cabinet also discussed and approved the transfer of Amboseli National Park to the County Government of Kajiado,” read part of the dispatch.

    The plan was praised by Maasai leaders, who see it as a way to restore local control over land historically belonging to their community. They argue that the transfer will promote peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife.

    “We have created a plan to transit Amboseli to a third-generation park where wildlife and communities co-exist in a harmonious way,” Governor Lenku said. “This will integrate conservation into people’s livelihoods.”

    However, Omtatah says such promises will not stand in court. He argues that under the current Constitution, national parks fall under the control of the national government. Any change would require a constitutional amendment—a lengthy and complex process that involves public participation and parliamentary approval.

    The Real Battle Over Amboseli Ownership

    The controversy over Amboseli ownership goes beyond legal arguments. It exposes the deeper tension between national control and local benefit.

    Amboseli was first established in 1906 as a reserve for the Maasai community. It became a national park in 1974 to protect its fragile ecosystem and wildlife.

    Since then, it has become one of Kenya’s top tourist attractions and a critical source of revenue for the tourism sector. But the Maasai people, who have lived in the region for centuries, say they have not seen the economic returns.

    Many feel excluded from decision-making and have accused successive governments of sidelining their interests. Omtatah believes the solution lies in fair revenue sharing, not unconstitutional land transfers.

    “The issue here is not ownership but benefits,” he said. “Let the people of Kajiado receive their fair share of the revenue. That’s what justice looks like.”

    He also called on civil society and legal experts to speak up before the government proceeds with what he described as “a clear violation of the Constitution.”

  • Okiya Omtatah and Others Sues President Ruto, Uhuru For Sh13 Trillion Kenya’s Odious Debt Crisis

    Okiya Omtatah and Others Sues President Ruto, Uhuru For Sh13 Trillion Kenya’s Odious Debt Crisis

    A bombshell petition filed in Kenya’s High Court has accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto of overseeing the accumulation of Kshs 13.1 trillion in odious debt, described as loans borrowed unlawfully and not used for the benefit of Kenyans.

    The petition, led by activist Okiya Omtatah and four co-petitioners, alleges rampant constitutional violations, fraudulent financial practices, and systemic oversight failures that have plunged the nation into a debt crisis, with taxpayers bearing the brunt.

    What is Odious Debt?

    The petition defines odious debt as loans incurred by government officials without public consent, in violation of the law, or for purposes such as corruption, repression, or personal enrichment, rather than public benefit. According to the petitioners, Kenya’s legal framework, including the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) of 2012, clearly governs public borrowing, restricting it to financing development projects or managing short-term cash flow. Any deviation from these stipulations renders the debt odious and, therefore, not repayable by the public.

    Scale of the Crisis

    The petitioners claim Kenya’s total outstanding public debt, as reported by the Central Bank of Kenya on December 27, 2024, stands at Kshs 10.79 trillion, comprising Kshs 5.6 trillion in domestic debt and Kshs 5.188 trillion in external debt. However, they argue the odious portion amounts to Kshs 13.1 trillion, factoring in overpayments and discrepancies between the Central Bank and National Treasury records. Of this, Kshs 6.95 trillion is traceable to unauthorized borrowings over the past decade (2014/2015 to 2024/2025), including fraudulent internal debt rollovers worth Kshs 2.5 trillion.

    The petition highlights Eurobond loans totaling Kshs 919.45 billion (USD 7.1 billion) borrowed between 2014 and 2021, and an additional Kshs 208.32 billion (USD 1.46 billion) in February 2024, as prime examples of odious debt. These loans, the petitioners assert, were not tied to development projects, were not approved by Parliament, and violated constitutional provisions by being used to repay existing debts—a recurrent expenditure forbidden under the law.

    Allegations Against Key Figures

    The petition names former President Kenyatta and President Ruto as central figures in the debt scandal. Kenyatta is accused of borrowing Kshs 6.607 trillion between 2014 and 2022, of which Kshs 4.606 trillion was unauthorized and unaccounted for. Ruto, in just two and a half years since 2022, is alleged to have borrowed Kshs 3.135 trillion, with Kshs 2.25 trillion deemed odious. The petitioners demand that both leaders, along with former and current officials—including Treasury Cabinet Secretaries, the Controller of Budget, the Auditor-General, and others—refund the principal amounts plus interest and costs.

    Oversight Failures and Institutional Complicity

    The petition also targets key oversight institutions for failing to curb the crisis. The Controller of Budget is accused of authorizing withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund to repay odious loans, while the Auditor-General is faulted for not auditing the legality and effectiveness of Eurobond proceeds and other debts. The National Assembly faces criticism for amending the PFMA in 2014 without Senate involvement, introducing provisions that allowed loan proceeds to bypass the Consolidated Fund and permitted the Executive to issue sovereign bonds without parliamentary approval.

    The IMF’s Role

    In a bold move, the petitioners have sued the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for advancing an “on-lent loan” hidden under Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) disbursements, which was rolled over in 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 at Kshs 10 billion annually. They argue this loan violates Kenyan borrowing laws and seek a declaration that the IMF can be sued in Kenyan courts for lending money in contravention of national law.

    Financial Burden on Taxpayers

    The petition underscores the crippling impact of odious debt on Kenyans, noting that 86% of tax revenue in the 2024/2025 financial year—approximately Kshs 1.94 trillion—is budgeted for debt repayment. With 71% of the public debt classified as odious, the petitioners calculate that 82% of every tax shilling, including 82% of the 30% corporate tax, is funneled toward servicing these illegitimate loans. This, they argue, exacerbates Kenya’s economic woes, with the government resorting to unsustainable borrowing to finance unrealistic expenditure estimates.

    Discrepancies and Fraudulent Practices

    The petition reveals stark discrepancies in financial records. For instance, while the National Assembly authorized Kshs 2.79 trillion in borrowings from 2014 to 2024, actual borrowings reached Kshs 9.74 trillion, leaving Kshs 6.95 trillion unaccounted for. In the 2014/2015 financial year alone, Kshs 270.78 billion was borrowed beyond the budgeted amount, with no trace of its use. The petitioners also highlight a suspicious Kshs 19.65 billion payout in January 2025, disguised as state officers’ salaries and allowances, which they suspect funded Kenya’s failed bid for the African Union chairmanship.

    Call for Justice

    The petitioners are seeking sweeping relief from the High Court, including declarations that odious debts are not repayable by Kenyans, that lenders advancing illegal loans cannot pursue repayment, and that unconstitutional PFMA provisions be quashed. They also demand a permanent prohibition on unauthorized borrowing and repayment of odious debts, alongside orders compelling implicated officials to refund the misappropriated funds.

    A Nation at a Crossroads

    As Kenya grapples with this unprecedented legal challenge, the petition raises critical questions about governance, accountability, and the future of public finance. Omtatah and his co-petitioners argue that the odious debt crisis is not just a financial burden but a betrayal of the Kenyan people, who have been forced to pay for loans that never served their interests. The outcome of this case could redefine Kenya’s approach to borrowing and set a global precedent for addressing odious debt.

    [pdf-embedder url=”https://cms.kenyainsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Odious-Debt-Press-Summary.pdf” title=”Odious Debt – Press Summary”]

  • Omtatah Recounts Meeting Kibet Bull Before His Disappearance And Car With Mounted Communication Kit Trailing Him

    Omtatah Recounts Meeting Kibet Bull Before His Disappearance And Car With Mounted Communication Kit Trailing Him

    Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has recounted the last known movements of social media influencer Kibet Bull, who vanished on Christmas Eve.

    Bull had met with Omtatah at his office to discuss joining his team before his planned studies in Israel. Omtatah’s driver and colleague, Wyclife Nyakina, last saw Bull near the National Archives Building around 5pm, heading to Kikuyu.

    Omtatah later reported Bull’s abduction to the Upper Hill Police Station, claiming that Bull was tracked by a suspicious white Subaru Forester mounted with a strange communication device seen outside his office during the meeting.

    The Subaru seen outside Omtatah’s office.

    The National Police Service, through Inspector General Douglas Kanja, has denied any involvement in recent abductions, stating no police station holds those reported missing. Omtatah has demanded explanations from Kanja and the Director of Criminal Investigations, calling for Bull’s immediate release and clarity on other similar cases.

    Additional missing persons include Bill Mwangi, taken from a barbershop in Embu, and Peter Muteti, abducted in Uthiru. Kanja has urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation that could damage the police’s reputation, emphasizing responsible use of freedom of expression.

  • Okiya Omtatah for President? Mixed Reactions to Busia Senator’s Endorsement

    Okiya Omtatah for President? Mixed Reactions to Busia Senator’s Endorsement

    Senator Okiya Omtatah’s recent endorsement as a presidential candidate by a wave of social media users has sparked a flurry of mixed reactions.

    While many see him as a beacon of hope, others express skepticism, presenting a complicated picture of Kenya’s political landscape as we head towards the 2027 elections.

    Okiya Omtatah

    A Divided Opinion on Okiya Omtatah Viability

    The buzz on social media platform X, once known as Twitter, has brought Omtatah into a spotlight he might not have prepared for.

    Some influential users argue that his years of activism make him a solid candidate for the presidency. His simple lifestyle stands in stark contrast to the opulence exhibited by leaders in President William Ruto’s government, such as Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen.

    In an era of flashy politics, Omtatah’s down-to-earth nature is refreshing, especially for many voters fed up with the status quo.

    However, mixed in with the support is a notable dissenting voice. User @FGaitho has criticized Omutatah’s bid, labeling it a “premature ejaculation,” implying that the move is hasty and ill-advised.

    Gaitho argues that Omtatah is not a strong enough candidate to pose any serious threat to Ruto’s dominance.

    According to this critique, Omtatah lacks the resources and background needed for a successful presidential campaign.

    The Challenge of Fundraising and Support

    Nandi Senator Bwana Samson Cherargei, a known sycophant of President Ruto, has further challenged Omtatah’s candidacy by pointing out the harsh realities of Kenyan politics.

    He argues that Omtatah doesn’t possess the requisite funds, suggesting that without at least Ksh 7 billion to splurge on campaigns, it is futile to even consider a run for the presidency.

    The stark financial disparity raises questions about the support Omtatah might receive in a deeply entrenched political environment.

    Beyond financial backing, Omtatah also faces the complex issue of tribal affiliations. His lack of tribal loyalty, as perceived by Cherargei, could hinder his chances significantly.

    In a country where tribalism often dictates political success, the absence of a strong tribal backing could leave him vulnerable.

    Concerns arise about how his candidacy will resonate with the Kikuyu community, which has historically harbored resentment towards the Luo ethnic group. Will the Kikuyu electorate accept a candidate with an ‘O’ name without prejudice?

    https://x.com/PJ36_/status/1860305350076907562

    Will the Church Be A Potential Ally or Adversary?

    Another dimension to consider is the role of the church in Kenyan politics. Recently, several prominent church leaders rejected financial offerings from President Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, setting a precedent for their political neutrality.

    This raises the question: will they offer their platforms to Omutatah?

    As a staunch Catholic who openly showcases his faith, Omtatah might seem like a natural fit for church backing.

    He does not flaunt wealth and embodies a more relatable image that could resonate with churchgoers. However, the church has been cautious about politically tainted candidates.

    Will they distance themselves from a man who suddenly finds himself entangled in a web of accusations and character scrutiny?

    Okiya Omtatah Candidacy vs The Question of Youth Engagement

    A significant portion of Omtatah’s support comes from a younger demographic, particularly Gen Z and anti-Ruto activists.

    This social block has the potential to create real change, but can they transform social media support into tangible votes?

    Skepticals argue that this demographic often falls into the trap of online activism without the commitment of actual voting.

    The challenges are compounded by the general apathy towards voting in this age group. Many worry that despite their online presence, they might fail to mobilize effectively come election day.

    If Omutatah’s supporters don’t translate their digital enthusiasm into real-world action, his candidacy may fall flat.

    The Path Ahead for Omtatah

    In summary, Okiya Omtatah’s journey as a presidential candidate is fraught with both enthusiasm and skepticism.

    While he represents a refreshing change and aligns with a demographic eager for new leadership, significant hurdles remain.

    The question of financial resources, tribal identity, the church’s support, and transforming online backing into political capital will be crucial.

    As we move closer to the 2027 elections, the political landscape will continue to evolve. Omtatah’s potential as a candidate hinges not only on his political skills but also on how effectively he addresses the myriad concerns raised by his critics.

    Will he rise to the occasion, or will he ultimately fade into political obscurity? Time will tell, but one thing remains clear: the conversation around his candidacy is just beginning.

  • Kingsway Tyres and Automart on The Spot Over Sh2.4B Tax Evasion Scandal

    Kingsway Tyres and Automart on The Spot Over Sh2.4B Tax Evasion Scandal

    The management of the Kenya Revenue Authority is under scrutiny for awarding tax waivers worth Sh3 billion to businesses through questionable dealings.

    Due to collusion among KRA officials, certain lawyers, and firms, the government has been losing billions of shillings in the recomputation of taxes, waivers, and abandonment.

    According to court documents, KRA filed a tax demand of Sh2.4 billion against Kingsway Tyres and Automart Limited following an assessment in 2004.

    The tax assessment included more than Sh1.7 billion for income tax, more than Sh272 million for VAT, and the remaining amount for auctioneer fees. To enforce the demand, KRA attached Kingsway’s property through Speedman Commercial Agencies Limited.

    However, on September 27, 2004, the taxman agreed to negotiate with Kingsway Tyres and Automart. During these negotiations to offset their tax obligations, Kingsway Tyres and Automart committed to deposit Sh1.5 million every week on Fridays.

    KRA requested Speedman Commercial Agencies Limited to release the goods, and the previously closed offices of Kingsway were reopened.

    Kingsway Tyres and Automart took the case to court to challenge the Sh2.4 billion tax demand. Unfortunately, they lost the case, and the ruling was delivered on May 16, 2006.

    The ruling against Kingsway Tyres and Automart cleared the path for KRA to collect the Sh2.4 billion they had sought in 2004, as all obstacles were removed.

    Following the failure of Kingsway Tyres and Automart to pay the taxes, two petitioners, namely Okiya Omtatah (now Busia Senator) and Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed, took the matter to court on July 2, 2014.

    They challenged the alleged violation and infringement of fundamental rights and freedoms as stated in articles 27, 40, 46, and 47 of the Constitution, as well as the KRA Act, regarding tax evasion and the failure to comply with the court’s 2004 order to pay taxes.

    Omtatah and Mohamed also contested the validity of Kingsway Tyres and Automart’s decision to “change its name and pin from P000606825c to Kingsway Tyres Limited pin number P051116728X” in order to obtain a clean tax compliance status and evade paying Sh2.4 billion in tax arrears.

    They included several parties in the case, such as the KRA Board of Directors, Kingsway Tyres and Automart, Kingsway Tyres Limited, the Attorney General, the Director of Criminal Investigations, the Director of Public Prosecution, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

    Other individuals involved in the case were former KRA Commissioner Generals Michael Waweru and John Njiraini, former EACC chair Mumo Matemo, and Speedman Commercial Agencies Limited.

    KRA, represented by their lawyers Waweru Gatonye and Company advocates, made an application in 2019 seeking consent to collect the Sh2.4 billion from Kingsway Motors. The condition was that Omtatah and Mohamed would agree to withdraw the inclusion of several other people as defendants in the case, leaving only KRA, Kingsway Tyres, Automart, and Kingsway Tyres Limited.

    The application was granted, but KRA was required to file a response, which they have failed to do so since 2019. As a result, the final determination of the cross-petition involving Speedman auctioneer, KRA, and Kingsway Tyres and Automart is still pending, awaiting KRA’s response.

    KRA Board chairman Antony Mwaura said they would pursue all firms that received undue tax abandonment, waivers, and refunds. They will also investigate if there was collusion between staff members and these firms.

    “As part of my achieving the target, I will ensure that KRA relook all the waivers, abandonment and exemptions that were offered to companies,” said Eng Mwaura. He said also on his radar were tax refunds that were offered to firms fraudulently.

    “Through the help of Treasury, we will ensure unnecessary tax exemptions are reversed,” said Mwaura.

  • Court halts Joho brothers plot to irregularly bag KPA tender

    Court halts Joho brothers plot to irregularly bag KPA tender

    Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the High Court has stopped Kenya Ports Authority from irregularly awarding a licence to Portside Freight Terminal Limited until a case filed against activist Okiyah Omtatah against the firm is heard and concluded.

    Omtatah accused KPA board of directors of going beyond the powers bestowed on them when they approved the licence to Portside Freight Terminal Ltd, a firm that belongs to Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and his brothers. Portside had won a multi-billion shillings tender to develop a second grain bulk handling facility at the port of Mombasa.

    Documents filed in court by Omtatah show that KPA wrote to the Treasury cabinet secretary Ukur Yatani on March 11 2021 asking for permission and approval to use single sourcing for the second grain handling tender and the request was approved by the board on June 28 2021.

    The contract wasthen awarded to Portside Freight Terminals Limited but six qualified  bidders including Mombasa Grain Terminals Limited, Kapa Oil Refinery, Kilindini Terminals Limited,  Africa Port & Terminals Ltd, Multiship International and Kipevu Inland Container EPZ were locked out after their proposals ignored.

    Activist Okiya Omtatah [p/courtesy]
    Omtatah convinced the court that single sourcing was exclusively being employed in this case to favor Portside Freight Terminal Ltd which feared competition from competent bidders. The activist also argued that the State Agency’s questionable move contravened the law and breached provisions of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposals Act.

    The board’s move also went against KPA’s Master Plan which proposed the second grain handling facility to be developed at either Dongo Kundu area or Lamu port but not Mombasa port where Joho brothers are are the shot callers.

    The ruling on Portside licence was celebrated by tycoon Mohammed Jaffer, Joho’s business rival who owns the only existing private grain handling facility ( Grain Bulk Handlers Limited) at the port of Mombasa and is poised to continue enjoying monopoly.

    The case whose hearing is set for August 27 has already elicited mixed reactions after another company associated with the Joho family took over a lucrative Nairobi SGR cargo terminal in Nairobi through an exclusive deal which raised eyebrows and attracted the attention of investigative agencies.

     

  • Omtatah Wants Mumias Sugar Revival Frozen

    Omtatah Wants Mumias Sugar Revival Frozen

    An activist has moved to court seeking temporarily suspend a directive by Senate to Mumias Sugar Company receiver manager Ponangipalli Venkata Ramana Rao from inviting bids from investors to salvage the troubled miller.

    “The matter is extremely urgent since the on June 9, 2021 or thereabouts, the Senate’s Agriculture Committee looking into the affairs of troubled Mumias Sugar Company (the Company) directed the 1st Respondent, the Receiver Manager, to within 14 days re-advertise the bid to salvage the troubled Mumias Sugar Company,” Okiya Omtatah said in a petition.

    According to Omtatah, the Senate got involved after it emerged that the Receiver Manager was engaged in a secretive bidding process to purportedly identify a strategic investor for the Company.

    In the petition, Omtatah says it is only when Rao was summoned to the Senate that he disclosed that he had invited eight investors.

    The companies include Catalysis Group of Russia, Sarrai Group of Uganda, Kruman Associates (France), Kibos Sugar and Devki Group, which are both from Kenya, Premier JV (India), Third Gate Capital Management and Godavari Enterprises, India.

    It has also emerged that none of the eight bidders he secretly invited to bid had the capacity to revive the company, leading to fears that a plan was underway to dispose the company off to Rao’s cronies for a song.

    Omtatah says that the fears that the Receiver Manager is conflicted were further reinforced by the fact that, while he was the receiver manager at Kwale Sugar Company he sold scrap metal to the purported lead bidder, Devki Steel Millers Ltd.

    He also claimed the receiver manager took over the Company to ostensibly “protect its assets and to the best extent maintain its operations,” yet the company was processing ethanol, from molasses bought mainly from the neighbouring Butali and Busia sugar companies.

    In the court documents, Omtatah says that instead of reviving the company, Rao has mismanaged the ethanol operations and shut them down in March 2021, thus halting all manufacturing operations at the company.

    Also, without proper planning, he ploughed 677 hectares of the Nucleus Estate but failed to plant sugarcane on some 307 HA, letting the effort go to waste.

    He adds that he is aggrieved that close to two years after taking over in 2021, the receiver manager has not published a general statement of affairs on the assets and liabilities of the company as at the time he took over and made known the efforts he has taken to protect the assets of the company and the interests of investors (including farmers), creditors, and other parties.

    He also said Rao has not published periodic reports on what he has done to reduce the KCB Group debt that is responsible for the receivership or published a general statement of affairs on the current state of the assets and liabilities of the company.

    He reiterates that he is aggrieved that the receiver manager has been on site for close to two years with nothing positive to show for it.

    “To make matters worse, he has neglected many assets of Mumias Sugar Company, including the Nucleus Estate and machinery, resulting in the company making huge losses due to the deterioration of the assets,” he adds

    Omtatah also points out that the neglected assets, especially the nucleus estate which has been left to grow wild, pose a danger to the public.

    “Whereas when a company is put in receivership certain rights of its owners are extinguished, and the appointed receiver takes control of the asset and works solely in the interests of the secured creditor, and the receiver may either liquidate the business or revive it, the case of Mumias different.

    “The company was set up to implement the Mumias Sugar Scheme to benefit sugarcane farmers in western Kenya and its environs and the general public,” he adds.

    He adds that because of the Government’s 20 percent shareholding in the company, and the fact that the company sits on land being acquired for the public purpose of setting up a sugar factory to serve sugarcane farmers and to support the economy of the wider western Kenya region, a public interest arises in how the receiver manager is running the company given the fact that the ‘public’ land is idle, and is not being put to the purpose for which it was ‘acquired’.

    “It is clear that the receiver manager who has been on site for some two years now has failed in his mission to protect the Company’s assets and to the best extent maintain its operations. Instead, he has completely shut down the company and is en route to nailing the last nail in the coffin of Mumias Sugar Scheme,” he said.

  • Okiya Omtatah Wins As Court Stops Re-advertisement Of The Auditor General’s Post

    Okiya Omtatah Wins As Court Stops Re-advertisement Of The Auditor General’s Post

    The Employment and Labour Relations Court has suspended the recruitment for an auditor General after the outspoken activist Okiya Omtatah filed a petition against the selecting panel.

    Auditor General position fell vacant last year in August after then Auditor General Edward Ouko’s term came to an end. Public Service Commission had stated that the government had to re-advertise for the vacancy after the selection panel failed to find a suitable candidate to fill the retired Ouko’s vacancy.

    According to activist Okiya Omtatah, all of the three candidates met all the requirements. Omtatah had sued the panel stating that it was unlawful to turn down the selection of the three candidates.

    “The decision to re-advertise the vacancy in the position of Auditor-General is unconstitutional and, therefore, invalid, null and void,” he said.

    In today’s ruling, Justice Stephen Radido temporarily halted re-advertisement for the post. The vacancy had been announced in 2019 December.

    “Pending the inter-partes hearing and determination of this case, the court at this moment issues an interim order prohibiting the sued parties and their agents. Howsoever acting, from giving effect to the advert, howsoever published, re-advertising the vacancy in the office of the Auditor-General and asking qualified and interested persons to apply,” Justice Stephen Radido said.