Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui has come under fire for appointing six members of his Kalenjin ethnic community to plum positions at his ministry.
A youth lobby group has moved to court to challenge Chelugui appointments in four state agencies under the ministry of Labour.
The group lead by East African Students Union President Anthony Manyara say the Labour CS failed to follow the law in the appointments of Isaac Chebon, Luka Kipkemei, John Saiyaton, Paul Kibet, Limo Kipkorir and Nicholas Kokita.
The Labour CS appointed the six as members of the Hotel and Catering Trade Wages Coucil, Maritime Wages Council, Oil Gas and Mineral Extraction Industry Wages Council and Protective Security Wages Council.
The appointments were gazetted on October 6th and 7th 2021 raising eyebrows and fury from concerned citizens.
Manyara and his co-petitioner Kevin Koome filed the petition at the Employment and Labour Relations Court Nairobi in a bid to stop the appointments.
The petitioners argue that the appointments by the Labour CS Chelugui was done secretly and was driven by ulterior political and tribal considerations.
“The appointment was done without identifying the appointees through a fair, open, competitive, merit-based process, and without considering ethnic and regional balancing,” reads the petition in part.
Manyara and Koome want the court to intervene at the early stage of the illegal appointments and uphold the constitutional values and principles.
“The petitioners seek an order declaring the appointments are unlawful, irregular, null and void and contravene the constitution of Kenya,” reads the petition.
Manyara and Koome also wants a court order restraining the six individuals from assuming office pending the hearing and determination of their petition.
Chelugui is not the only senior government official dishing out jobs to members of his ethnic community, tribalism and nepotism are key determining factors for employment opportunities in nearly all government institutions.
Related: Broke Moi University Filled All Positions With Ethnic Kalenjins After Chasing Away Luhya VC
