The high court has barred parliament from conducting interviews for the commissioners of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission that have been scheduled for Monday, pending the hearing and determination of a petition lodged by activist Okiya Omtatah over the same.

Omtatah moved to court to have parliament barred from conducting the interviews saying the house has no mandate and the interviews should be carried out by the Public Service Commission and the Executive.

“The role of Parliament is limited to vetting candidates for the PSC or the Executive,” Okiya Omtatah said.

“The decision by the National Assembly to usurp the powers of the PSC, by recruiting persons for appointment as commissioners of the NCIC, violates Article 234( 2 ) of the Constitution on the functions and powers of the commission,” he further stated.

Justice Wilfrida Okwany on Friday while making the ruling certified the matter as urgent and directed the parties to serve and file responses within seven days.

The case will be heard on November 26.

Former Speaker Hon. Francis Ole Kaparo was in 2014 appointed as the Commission’s Chairman alongside seven other commissioners for a three-year term although they are still eligible for re-appointment on another three-year-term.

The other commissioners are; Vice Chairperson Irene Wanyoike, Belinda Ochiel, Adan Abdi Mohammed, Dr Roba Sharamo, Dr Joseph Nasongo, Morris Dzoro, and Prof Gitile Naituli.

The current commissioners’ tenure was to elapse in 2017 but President Uhuru Kenyatta extended the NCIC commissioners’ term by one year in order to keep politicians in check during the August 2017 election period.