The National Assembly’s autonomy has been boosted after the High Court dismissed petitions filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and two other petitioners challenging the vetting of principal secretaries nominated by President William Ruto.
In the ruling, Justice Nduma Nderi referred to the National Assembly as the “House by the people”, implying that the house has the power to proceed with the vetting process without interference.
He said the petitions were filed prematurely and that the petitioners should have made the move after the completion of the vetting process.
Read: ODPP Makes U-Turn In Lenolkulal Ksh. 84 M Graft Case After LSK Outburst
“This is a sacred mandate given to the House by the people of Kenya… the petitioners must await the conclusion of the process,” ruled Justice Nderi.
“Consolidated petitions are struck out for having been filed prematurely,”
The verdict by the court means the vetting process of the 51 nominees will resume after a 2-week hiatus.
The LSK had moved to court to protest the president’s choices, saying that they did not reflect regional balance among other inclusion parameters, such as the youths and persons living with disabilities.
“There’s no justification whatsoever why the impugned nominations do not depict national representation including but not limited to the youth, people with disabilities, marginalised communities, the elderly, among others,” said LSK in the petition.
Email your news TIPS to editor@thesharpdaily.com