This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
On October 2, 2019, President Kenyatta appointed and gazetted lawyer Gershom Otachi to chair the National Land Commission (NLC) after the National Assembly approved his nomination alongside that of eight commissioners.
However, the swearing-in of the new commissioners has been put on hold after Justice Stephen Radido of the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued an order prohibiting Chief Justice David Maraga from swearing them into office pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by activist Okiya Omtatah.
The court ruled that the application was urgent and that the appointees should not be sworn in by the Chief Justice pending the hearing of the dispute.
Okiya Omtatah had taken issue with the vetting and approval process in Parliament, and said the subsequent gazetting by the President was meant to pre-empt his petition filed earlier that challenged the selection process.
The selection panel had been appointed by the President without the inclusion of one stakeholder to represent the public as prescribed in law, Omtatah alleged.
The hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2019.
