The High Court has stopped the recruitment to fill vacant positions at four universities over alleged lack of transparency.
The recruitment is being done by the Public Service Commission for Egerton University, Taita Taveta University, Samoei Koitalel University College and Turkana University College.
The interviews were scheduled for November 29, November 30 and December 2, 2021.
At Turkana University College, the vacant positions are those of principal and deputy principal (academic, finance and planning).
At Samoei Koitalel University College the positions are principal and deputy principal (academic, students affairs).
At Taita Taveta University the vacant position is that of DVC (academic, students affairs and planning) and Egerton (DVC academic affairs).
Justice Stella Rutto granted leave to Prof Stephen Odebero, one of the applicants to institute judicial review proceedings against the PSC. Odebero obtained the orders through his lawyer Raphael Kigamwa on Friday.
“The petitioner has established a prima facie case, warranting grant of an interim order, barring the PSC from proceeding with the interviews and filling up of the positions pending hearing of the application inter partes,” Rutto ordered.
Odebero was directed to file a substantive motion within 21 days and that the application be placed before any judge on December 20 for further directions.
Odebero argues that there is a clear violation of transparency by the PSC's decision to fail to acknowledge that he had submitted applications for the positions of deputy principal (academic, student and financial affairs) at Koitalel Samoei University College.
He says that PSC violated his legitimate expectations by failing to shortlist him for the position he has held in an acting capacity for four years.
Odebero says he would suffer loss of an opportunity to compete with his peers for a chance at employment through a process that ought to be transparent and consistent with the provisions of the law should the interviews proceed as scheduled.
In a sworn affidavit, Odebero says despite having acted as the acting deputy principal administration, finance and planning for four years, PSC had neither shortlisted him nor acknowledged his applications in the long list of applicants.
He says the PSC had certain people appearing several times on different shortlists.
Edited by A.N
