Twelve senior government officials have resigned to run for elective positions in the August General Election ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
Charles Keter resigned from the Devolution docket to run for governor of Kericho, Adan Mohamed resigned from the East African Community (EAC) docket to run for governor of Mandera, and John Munyes is running for the same seat in Turkana.
Seven Cabinet Administrative Secretaries have also resigned from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration in order to run for political office.
Patrick Ntuntu (Labour), Joseph Boinett (Tourism), John Mosonik (Petroleum and Mining), Wavinya Ndeti (Transport), Ken Obura (East African Community), Hassan Noor Hassan (Education), and Gideon Mung’aro (Eastern African Community) are among them (Devolution).
Fred Segor, the Wildlife Principal Secretary, has also resigned.
George Natembeya was the first to quit as Rift Valley Regional Commissioner in order to run for the Trans Nzoia governorship.
According to the Constitution, any government employee who is vying for elective seats in the August 9th election must resign by tomorrow.
“The people of Turkana are waiting for me,” Munyes stated upon announcing his retirement on Tuesday. “My next duty, God willing, is to seek the post of governor in Turkana.” Turkana is beset by issues,” he says.
Munyes claimed that he was inspired to enter politics in order to address the difficulties that Turkana locals confront, such as poverty, a lack of water, and resources.
“I am retiring to focus on contesting for the seat of Kericho Governor,” Keter remarked. I have the vision and drive to improve Kericho’s economy and transform the city into a success model.”
Cabinet secretaries are among government officials who must quit six months before an election under the Election Act if they want to run for office.
More resignations are expected, especially after the Court of Appeal affirmed sections of the Elections Act mandating public officials in appointive positions to quit six months before running for elective office.
Justices Daniel Musinga (President), Wanjiru Karanja, and Agnes Murgor handed down their verdict today, one day before the Elections Act’s deadline.
The court also dismissed arguments that the provisions of section 43(5) and (6) of the Elections Act were discriminatory in the sense that they require all public officers running for elective posts to resign before six months to a general election, save for those holding political offices.
“The political and or the labour rights of the State or public officers seeking to join elective politics are not absolute rights that cannot be limited pursuant to the provisions of Article 25 of the Constitution,” ruled the court.
These rights can be limited by application of relevant laws provided that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on, inter alia, human dignity, equality, and freedom.
