Ruto’s CS Nominees With Pending Court Cases

Political allegiances have often characterized politics and in most cases have been perceived as means to justify an end or a necessary evil for survival. However when the need to reward political allies takes center stage at the expense of the constitution then it’s not business as usual!

And this is why as an active Kenyan citizen, I’m deeply concerned when President William Ruto appoints or rather nominates individuals with active criminal cases in court in total disregard of the constitution.

While the law in Kenya prescribes that an accused person is innocent until proven guilty, Chapter 6 of the Constitution of Kenya is clear on matter of integrity for public officeholders.

Article 73 states that; “the authority assigned to a state officer is a public trust to be exercised in a manner that should among other key things; “promote public confidence in the integrity of the office”,  “bring honour to the nation and dignity to the office” and “demonstrate Respect to the people”.

How does the nomination of Aisha Jumwa, as Public Service Cabinet Secretary  who has an ongoing murder and corruption case dignify the office? How does it “promote public confidence in the integrity of the office”,  how does it “demonstrate Respect to Kenyans”?

In the graft case, Ms Jumwa and six others are accused of conspiracy to commit fraud through the payment of Sh19 million to Multiserve Contractors for tender number MLD/NG-CDF/01/2017/2018 of the Malindi NG-CDF.

Jumwa has also, together with her bodyguard, have since 2019 been facing murder charges for the murder of  Michael Ngumbao Jola, who was killed in a confrontation with the Public Service Cabinet Secretary  nominee.

So bad is her nomination to the cabinet that the family of the poor citizen has now applied to drop the murder case against the vocal politician. How does an ordinary mwananchi get justice in this case anyway!

There is also Mithika Linturi (Agriculture and Livestock Development), Mr Davis Chirchir (Energy and Petroleum) and Prof Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury and Planning).

The nominated Cabinet Secretaries with questionable integrity issues were vetted by parliament last week, if approved by the National Assembly, they will subsequently be sworn in as cabinet secretaries and wananchi will have no choice but to “move on”, in any case we have seen the Director of Public Prosecutions withdraw cases of some of the politicians aligned to president Ruto.

https://www.kenyaforum.net/wp-admin/post.php?post=16283&action=edit