Summary
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The court halts the recruitment of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Board
- The petitioner cited a “conflict of interest” in interviewing panel and shortlisted candidates many of them from Nation Media Group.
The court Thursday halted the recruitment of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Board after the petitioner cited a “conflict of interest” in interviewing panel and shortlisted candidates many of them from Nation Media Group.
“That in the interim, the process of recruitment of chairperson and members of the Board of the Media Council of Kenya is hereby stayed,” the order from the Employment and Labor Relations Court at Nairobi reads.
“That a closer look at the selection Panel and shortlisted candidates shows that it was constituted without following due process in blatant disregard of the law and with a clear intention to prevent the flow of justice,” the petitioner, Dr. Magare Gikenyi argues
All the shortlisted candidates are listed as interested parties.
The petitioner claims that Emmanuel Juma who chairs the Selection Panel purports to represent the Media Owners Association (MoA) yet he is not its member and that he is a former employee of the Nation Media Group that nominated him.
The appointment of columnist Macharia Gaitho, a former employee of NMG is also questioned.
The petitioner further claims that Dr. Jane Wambui Thuo should not be on the recruitment panel since she is a full-time employee at the University of Nairobi and she was not nominated by all public universities offering journalism.
She argues that Dr. Kinya Mwitha was not appointed by all Private Universities as required by law; thus, should not be in the panel.
The shortlisted members include Roselyne Oballa and Eric Oduor, who are full-time NMG employees, and Churchill Otieno, who nominated NMG’s Macharia Gaitho to the selection panel.
The petitioner cited a conflict of interest because “he is appearing before his appointee and three colleagues.”
The hearing directions will be issued on February 27, 2023.
