• Omanga was in March 2023 appointed by President William Ruto as Interior CAS as part of the President’s 50 CASs but the court declared the positions unconstitutional.
• On Sunday, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai sensationally claimed that Omanga “went for Sh700,000 pay from State House on Friday” apparently as her pay for the CAS post.
Image: MILLICENT OMANGA/X
Former nominated senator Millicent Omanga has denied receiving monies from the government in salaries for the nonexistent position of Chief Administrative Secretary.
Omanga was in March 2023 appointed by President William Ruto as Interior CAS as part of the President’s 50 CASs but the court declared the positions unconstitutional.
On Sunday, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai sensationally claimed that Omanga “went for Sh700,000 pay from State House on Friday” apparently as her pay for the CAS post.
“Hello President William Ruto, why are people employed as CAS and being paid illegally in cash from State House while the courts ruled that the position is unconstitutional?” he posed.
On Monday, Omanga dismissed Alai’s claims as false in response to the allegations by the MCA on X.
“Ndugu (brother) Robert Alai, this is untrue and a fatal misrepresentation of facts. Nonetheless, if you hear when and where this money is being collected, please alert me. Nitakuchotea kakitu (I will share some with you),” she said.
The CAS position was created by former President Uhuru Kenyatta on January 26, 2018, in what he said was to enhance the operations of Cabinet Secretaries in running various ministries.
In a statement, the President said office holders of the CAS posts would be second in command in the ministries “taking into account the need of having a government that reflects the diversity of our nation”.
The creation of the extra-constitutional CAS posts effectively revived the assistant minister positions as Uhuru said they would be tasked with coordinating work by state departments headed by Principal Secretaries.
“I have decided to establish a new position in government, the position of Chief Administrative Secretary in all our ministries. The Chief Administrative Secretary would broadly be responsible for helping the Cabinet Secretary to better coordinate the running of the affairs of their respective ministries,” he said.
But on April 20, 2021, High Court judge Anthony Mrima ruled that the CAS position was unconstitutional after activist and current Busia Senator Okiya Omtata challenged the appointment of office holders of the CAS posts.
Fast forward to March 16, 2023, Ruto made 50 new appointments to the CAS post but three months later, the court yet again slammed breaks on appointments.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Hedwig Ong'udi, Kanyi Kimondo and Aleem Visram found that the law was not complied with in the establishment of the office.
“The framers of the Constitution did not envisage that 50 CASs would deputise 22 Cabinet Secretaries,” Justice Kimondo ruled.
The bench further argued that even though there was public participation for the initial 23 positions, the same constitutional provision was not adhered to in the creation of an additional 27 positions by the Public Service Commission (PSC).