•Asks court to suspend vetting of nominees by the National Assembly pending hearing of the case
A man has moved to court to block the vetting of Principal secretaries nominated by President William Ruto last week, citing lack of regional balance and inclusivity.
Fredrick Bikeri's petition lodged at the High Court in Nairobi comes barely two days after a Nakuru-based surgeon Benjamin Magare Gikanye also asked the court to declare the nominations illegal for lack of regional balance.
Ruto on November 2 unveiled a list of 51 Principal Secretary nominees he wants to head various state departments. That list has been forwarded to Parliament for vetting which starts on Monday, November 14.
On Monday, Bikeri said the list does not reflect gender balance, regional balance, tribal balance, or inclusivity of the marginalised contrary to the tenets of good governance as demanded by the Constitution.
He asked the court to certify his application as urgent.
"Pending hearing and determination of this application, conservatory orders be issued barring Parliament from receiving the list of nominees for vetting," Bikeri said in his affidavit.
In his petition, Bikeri says President Ruto increased the number of state departments from 41 in the previous administration to 51 and as such, each of Kenya's 44 tribes ought to have gotten at least one post.
"Kisii community particularly Nyamira county has not gotten any slot in the purported nominations which is a clear departure from the principle of inclusivity and good governance envisaged in the Constitution," he says.
He asked the court to halt the vetting of the nominees saying if approved for an appointment, then the move may lead to autocratic governance that does not inspire public confidence.
All the nominees have been listed as respondents alongside the Attorney General and the National Assembly.
Gikanye in his petition at the Nakuru High Court said President Ruto made skewed nominations for the PS positions without considering the ethnic and gender balance.
He cited Bernice Silaal Lemedeket's position of Principal Administrative Secretary for the National Police Service, saying it does not exist in law.
The medic asked the court to suspend the announcement and restrain the National Assembly from vetting the nominees pending the hearing and determination of the case.