No fewer than 12 civil servants in Kenya have resigned their appointments after a court judgement that ordered civil servants interested in running in the August election to resign their appointments before Wednesday, February 9, 2022 or quash their political ambition.
More officials have resigned as a result of the Court of Appeal’s order on Tuesday morning that state personnel wanting political positions in the August 9 elections should resign.
The verdict overturned a Labour Court ruling that requiring public employees to resign was discriminatory.
Several government officials have shown interest in g and senate seats, including CSs, PSs, and CASs.
Devolution CS Charles Keter resigned on Tuesday to concentrate on his campaign to succeed Kericho County Governor Paul Chepkwony, who is in his second term.
Keter was one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s six Cabinet Secretaries who served in both the first and second cabinets.
Before being appointed as the Energy CS when Jubilee ascended to power in 2013, Keter served as a Senator, a position that he resigned following his appointment to the cabinet. He is now seeking to govern Kericho residents in the county government and is expected to vie against Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA party.
“I have today tendered my resignation to his Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta. I’m also complying with the circular which was issued by the Head of Public Service last week dated January 28, 2022, requiring all state and public officers who are not exempted by the provision of Election Act 2011 from resigning to vacate their offices,” Keter said.
Keter’s resignation was followed shortly after by that of John Munyes, chief of the Petroleum and Mining sector. Munyes is in the race to become the next Turkana governor after Josphat Nanok’s second term ends. The people of Turkana, he said, are eagerly awaiting him since his next assignment, God willing, is to run for the governorship in Turkana.
President Uhuru appointed Munyes as CS in January 2018. From 2013 to the time of his appointment, Munyes served as Senator for Turkana.
Adan Mohamed, who was serving as EAC CS and will seek for the Mandera governor seat, is another CS who has quit. After four years in office, Water PS Joseph Irung’u quit to enter politics; Tourism CAS Joseph Boinnet resigned to run for the governorship of Elgeyo Marakwet; Labour and Social Protection CAS Patrick Ole Ntutu resigned to run for the governorship of Narok County; and Petroleum and Mining CAS Eng. John Mosonik resigned to run for the governorship of Bomet, which is also being eyed by incumbent Governor Hillary Barchok and former governor Isaac Ruto of Chama Cha Mashinani.
Other CASs who have resigned from Uhuru’s administration include Wavinya Ndeti (Transport), who will run for Machakos governor, Hassan Noor Hassan (Education), who will run for Mandera governor on an ODM ticket, Gideon Mung’aro (Devolution), who wants to succeed Amason Kingi as Kilifi governor, and Ken Obura (East African Community), who will run for Kisumu governor.
George Natembeya, the former Rift Valley Regional Commissioner, was the first to resign, as he prepares to run for the Trans Nzoia governor seat on the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) platform.