• CJ Martha Koome appointed Justices Chacha Mwita, Lawrence Mugambi and Patricia Nyaundi to handle the petition filed in court by one Peter Gachuiri (petitioner).
• The filed petition is challenging SRC's decision to scrap the taxable car allowances for Judges.
Image: The Star
The high court is set to hear a case challenging the Salaries and Remuneration Commission's (SRC's) decision to scrap car allowance for judges.
Chief Justice Martha Koome appointed Justices Chacha Mwita, Lawrence Mugambi and Patricia Nyaundi to handle the petition filed in court by one Peter Gachuiri (petitioner).
The filed petition is challenging SRC's decision to scrap the taxable car allowances for Judges.
When the matter was last in court, the three-judge bench said a preliminary issue raised by the Attorney General’s office that the matter be handled by the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) be heard today.
The AG says the lawsuit stems from benefits arising from an employment relationship and the same should be heard by the ELRC.
Judges have been enjoying taxable car allowances until 2021 when it was scrapped by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) said judges are already enjoying comfortable lifestyles by being entitled to official transport which is chauffeur-driven as part of their benefits package and the car grant would amount to double compensation from taxpayers' money.
Judges through the Kenya Judges Welfare Association have supported the petition claiming that the car grant is a necessary benefit to help them in their duties and personal use.
The association’s president, Justice Kossy Bor, in her affidavit, swore that it is a facility judges have benefitted from since 2008 and that the decision by SRC to scrap it amounts to discrimination given that other state officers are enjoying the same.
“It is discriminatory against judges given that SRC has recognized existing car grants for members of the legislature, executive, independent offices, and commission while purporting to cancel benefits due to judges,” Bor said.
Separately, a Makadara court will today be informed on whether the police have concluded their probe on John Matara, the main suspect in the murder of socialite Starlet Wahu.
Matara was arraigned before the Mkadara law courts 7 days ago but the police made an application to have him detained pending further probe in the case. He was required to come back to court today.
Investigations reveal that Matara had hired a short-term stay apartment in the area and took Wahu whom he met on a dating site into the house for a night out.
He was arrested at the Mbagathi Hospital moments after allegedly stabbing Wahu in an apartment in South B, Nairobi.
He has told police he differed with the woman prompting the fatal fight in the room.
Wahu's body was discovered on January 4 morning at the fourth floor of the apartment after the watchman reported seeing the male suspect flee with bloodstained clothes.
The owner of the premises who had let it out to Wahu and Matara for a night used a spare key to unlock the house, which had been locked from the outside, only to stumble on the horrifying scene of the deceased's body sprawled on the floor.