This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
On July 9, 2020, the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi convicted Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe of contempt of court for initiating the transfers of National Quality Control Laboratory (NQCL) CEO Dr. Hezekiah Chepkwony and Deputy Director Dr. Pius Wanjala despite a court order barring the reposting.
Justice Onesmus Makau of the Employment and Labour Relations Court had granted Dr. Chepkwony and Dr. Wanjala a court order on January 31, 2020, stopping the transfers from being implemented. However, the CS is said to have defied the court order and made new appointments replacing the two NQCL bosses.
As a result, Kagwe has been directed to appear in court on July 23, 2020, for sentencing. The maximum penalties for contempt of court offence in Kenya is six months imprisonment and, or a fine not exceeding Ksh200, 000.
