A Parliament committee has recommended the removal of Tabitha Mutemi as a board member of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK).
The National Assembly ICT committee chaired by William Kisang made the recommendation in a report tabled in parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
This comes as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission last week said it was neither consulted nor notified about its communications manager Mutemi’s appointment as a board member of the Media Council of Kenya.
The agency said her appointment at MCK is not viable as long as she holds her current position.
In a letter to Parliament, IEBC had said it would take action against Mutemi "at an appropriate time".
The letter signed by Obadia Keitany on behalf of the chief executive officer invoked the IEBC Act 2011 and its human resource manual.
Section 16 of the IEBC Act says members and employees of the commission shall subscribe to a code of conduct, which they sign up for when accepting job contracts.
Members and employees of the commission are prohibited from holding other public offices during their tenure of office with the commission.
“This section clearly stipulates that a member or employee of the commission shall not during the tenure of office be eligible for appointment to another public office,” the letter says.
IEBC further cited the Leadership and Integrity Act which prohibits a full-time state or public officer from participating in other gainful employment.
“Consequently, Mutemi’s appointment as board member to MCK is not viable while still in employment of the IEBC as pronounced by the laws,” the letter read.
The commission was responding to a petition by lawyer Muriuki Muriungi on behalf of KMK Africa Law Advocates.
Muriungi stated that Tabitha has acted in gross misconduct and in breach of the Constitution and several other laws by holding two public offices.
