President William Ruto has been stopped from revoking the appointment of Capt Paul Rukaria as the chairman of Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) to the board.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court issued the orders after Rukaria on February 17, 2023 challenged Ruto and Attorney General (AG) Justin Muturi’s decision to revoke his appointment at the board.
Justice James Rika also certified the matter as urgent and issued a conservatory order halting Ruto’s decision to appoint Hussein Tene Debasso, as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the KNTC for a period of three years pending the inter- partes hearing of the lawsuit by Rukaria on March 28, 2023. “Pending hearing of the application inter partes, Ruto and Attorney General Justin Muturi, their Agents, Representatives, Employees and/ or anyone else under their direction, are barred from effecting or applying Gazette Notice No. 1383 dated February 6, 2023, which purports to de-gazette Rukaria as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kenya National Trading Corporation,” Justice Rika ordered.
The judge granted President Ruto, Muturi and KNTC 21 days to file their responses in the case.
Rukaria, a retired commissioned officer of the Kenya Defence Forces, had been appointed by former president Uhuru Kenyatta on August 5, 2022, four days to the Presidential elections, for a term of three years.
President Ruto, however, revoked the appointment as the Chairperson of the board of directors of KNTC through a gazette notice on February 6, 2023.
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