This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
CS Mucheru Replaces Late Kochalle's Appointment, Appoints Widow ¶
On October 18, 2019, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology, Joe Mucheru, made headlines after replacing the late Robert Kochalle's appointment with his widow, Gathoni Kung'u, in the Film Classification Board of Kenya.
According to a statement by the government, Mucheru had initially appointed Kochalle, who passed away on May 28, 2018, to serve in the board for a period of three years.
However, following Kochalle's death, Mucheru was heavily criticized by Kenyans online, who demanded that he come out and explain how he had appointed his late wife to the position.
"... I appoint Gathoni Kung'u, Robert Kochalle, Nereah Alouch Okanga as members of the film classification board for a period of three years," a government statement read.
Just a few days later, Kochalle's widow was announced as the new appointee, taking over her late husband's position in the board.
Earlier, the KFCB chairman, Ezekiel Mutua, had said that an error had been made after the board had submitted Kochalle's name for approval, only to have it replaced by another person. He blamed Kenyans for fueling the entire issue.
It's worth noting that this incident occurred just a few days after Kenyans had criticized the appointment of Mary Wambui, a former Othaya MP, as the chairperson of the National Employment Authority.
Wambui, who was also a former lover of former President Mwai Kibaki, defended herself, saying that her age should not be a barrier to her appointment, citing her experience in serving in government.
