BY SAM ALFAN.
Activist Okiya Omtatah has challenged the appointment of James Githii Mburu as the Commissioner of Intelligence and Strategic Operations by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
He has accused KRA Commissioner-General John Njirainey of abusing his office by illegally creating the post and hand-picking Mburu without subjecting him to competitive recruitment.
Omtatah claimed that David Yego was appointed the Commissioner in charge of Investigations and Enforcement on March 22 following hotly-contested lobbying and interviews. However, on March 31, KRA staff members were informed about the new post, effective April 3, whose functions and duties were not defined.
“The position was not advertised and was not competitively filled. There is no provision for hand-picking or single-sourcing persons to fill positions in the public service. The petitioner reads mischief in the rush to create the new parallel position nd to immediately substantively fill it with a person who had just lost out at interviews for a similar position,” Omtatah explained in his urgent application.
The Head of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, Justice Nduma Nderi, directed him to serve the suit papers on Njiraine, Mburu and the KRA Board of Directors within seven days to facilitate the hearing on April 21.
