This archive report was first published on 26 October 2021.
On October 26, 2021, a Kenyan court made a significant ruling that has far-reaching implications for the Meru County Assembly.
A Judge has nullified the appointment of the clerk of Meru County Assembly, citing a lack of gender parity and public participation in the approval process.
The Judge, Patrick Otieno, declared that the composition of the Meru County Assembly Service Board as of February 21, 2020, did not comply with the gender parity rule, with the male gender comprising more than two-thirds of the membership.
Justice Otieno gave Meru County Assembly a period of 60 days to correct the violation, stating that if the Board was not reconstituted to comply with the Gender Equity Rule by December 21, 2021, it would stand dissolved.
The court also declared that the approval hearings for the appointment of the Meru County Assembly clerk were done without the requisite public participation and were thus unconstitutional and null and void.
The ruling was made in a case filed by Kenneth Muriuki, who challenged the appointment of Jacob Karari as the clerk, arguing that there was no forum for public participation in the entire process of recruitment, nomination, vetting, debate, and appointment of the Clerk.
