Professor Olive Mugenda’s newly appointed position as chair of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital Board for three years has been challenged by a bold Kenyan activist.
Activist Okiya Omtatah has filed a case challenging the appointment of Prof. Olive Mugenda to be the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital board and Kithinji Kiragu and Gladys Ogallo as members.
Omtatah argues that the appointments of the three were made without subjecting the three appointees to a “fair, open, competitive, merit-based, and inclusive recruitment process,” adding that this violates the law.
“Under the law, the process for filling offices in the public service begins with the PSC advertising vacancies for the positions and inviting applications from qualified interested parties. The PSC then publishes the names of all applicants and later the shortlist.
“The PSC then conducts interviews and avails an opportunity for public participation before appointing persons to the offices or submitting the names of successful candidates to appointing authorities for the appointment,” reads the court documents.
Omtatah further claims that Mugenda is still an employee of Kenyatta University, therefore, she cannot sit on the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital board where the Kenyatta University Council is represented, and the university’Vice-Chancelloror is a member.
According to Omtatah, this creates a conflict of interest.
