Activist Okiya Omtatah has petitioned the High Court seeking to have new board members of the Agricultural Development Corporation appointed.
He argues that both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Agriculture CS Peter Munya acted unlawfully when they appointed the current board members.
“The National Executive simply handpicked and appointed the chairperson and the nine independent members of the board contrary to the law which requires that a public office be filled through a transparent, competitive, inclusive, and merit-based recruitment process open to public participation,” he says.
Omtatah says the appointments were not in full compliance with the law and ought to be quashed.
Omtatah has listed Jean Njiru, Gladys Kasia Ngao, John Owuor K’obado, Hassan Osman, Tabitha Mbungu Maungi, Martin Ogindo, Paul Kibet Chebor, Roba Sharu Duba and Peter Chemuigut as the persons the President handpicked and appointed to the board.
He also claims that they were found to be incompetent according to the September 2019 inspectorate of state corporations report.
According to court documents, the board appointed Mohammed Bulle as the acting MD yet he had attained the mandatory retirement age from the public service.
Omtatah wants the court to declare that he is unqualified to hold office on that ground.
“Having served beyond the time allowed in an acting capacity, Bulle is unqualified to hold the office of the acting MD of the ADC,” he says.
Edited by A.N
