This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
On October 14, 2019, former Othaya MP Mary Wambui was appointed as the Chair of the National Employment Authority (NEA) by Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani, through a gazette notice.
However, the appointment was met with skepticism by many Kenyans who felt that the position should have been given to a younger person, considering the high levels of unemployment among the youth.
Senator Johnson Sakaja, who sponsored the bill that led to the establishment of the NEA three years ago, petitioned the court to have Wambui's appointment suspended, citing that she lacked the necessary experience to hold the position.
On October 23, 2019, the court granted Sakaja's petition and suspended Wambui's appointment as the Chair of the NEA.
Senator Sakaja had argued that Wambui had been serving in government for a long time and that her appointment was unconstitutional, adding that there were many young people who could have been considered for the position.
Wambui, who served as the Othaya MP from 2013 to 2017, was appointed to the position through a gazette notice published on October 14, 2019.
Sakaja tweeted that Wambui lacked the necessary experience to hold the position and that there were many young people who could have been considered for the position.
Wambui's appointment was seen as a move to give a senior government official a position, rather than a young person who could have brought new ideas and energy to the role.
