An Employment and Labour Relations Court has suspended the appointment of Pauline Njoroge and four others to the Tourism Regulatory Authority Board.
The others are; Kevin Muasya, Alais Lenana Moi, Isaac Njangu, and Najma Ismael.
Justice Hellen Wasilwa suspended their appointments until a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) is heard and determined.
“That pending the hearing and determination of this application interpartes, an interim order be and is hereby issued suspending the Gazette Notice Vol. CXXII- NO. 150 No. 5462 dated 7th August, 2020 notifying of the appointment of the Interested Parties herein as members of the Tourism Regulatory Board for a period of three years effective from 7th August, 2020,” Justice Wasilwa ordered.
LSK argues that the five are unfit for the job and that their appointments were illegal.
The legal body further states that the board had on Saturday revoked Pauline Njoroge’s appointment after a disparaging social media post on the Nairobi National Park resurfaced.
Her post read, “The only selling point of that park is that it’s “The only National park in a capital city in the world” beyond that glamorous title, what else does it offer? The orphanage and the nature walk make economic sense But the park?! It does not make sense that in a congested city like Nairobi we can afford to have acres and acres of land in the name of a park when the is literally bursting at the seems with people… We even have to hold discussions on re-routing the SGR so as to save a park that is economically redundant.”
“The said appointments are unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal as they were done in total disregard of procedural requirements applicable in the Public Service appointments,” court papers read in part.
Should their appointments sail through, LSK argues that the board will end up with the most unsuitable members on account of having been handpicked and selected through a process that was not open and transparent nor competitive.
The five had been appointed for a tenure of three years effective August 7, 2020.
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