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A legal challenge has been lodged at the Milimani Law Courts seeking to stop President William Ruto from appointing additional advisors to his administration.
The petition, filed by advocate Vincent Lempaa Suyianka, also calls on the court to suspend the payment of salaries to the 21 advisors who are already serving in the current administration.
According to Suyianka, there is no clear legal or regulatory framework that sets a limit on the number of advisors the President can appoint. This, he argues, opens the door for excessive political appointments that bypass established principles of public service.
He claims that these appointments have not adhered to constitutional values and that many of the individuals were brought into office without a transparent process.
“In the wake of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s rise to power following the 2022 elections, the President has essentially created a parallel civil service that mirrors the functions of the established public service,” read sections of the court documents.
The petition further alleges that taxpayers are footing the bill for these political appointments, which he says are costing the country billions in salaries and allowances.
In his notice of motion, Suyianka urges the court to temporarily suspend any payments to the 21 advisors pending a full hearing and ruling on the matter.
He contends that the advisory roles were created and filled outside the bounds of the three constitutionally sanctioned avenues, thereby rendering them unconstitutional.
Additionally, the lawyer highlights the absence of public engagement or official announcements regarding the formation of these advisory roles. He argues that citizens were neither informed nor consulted about the need or relevance of such offices.
“There was a lack of transparency both in the establishment of these advisory positions and in the process used to recruit individuals into them,” Suyianka states.
The growing number of presidential advisors has been a point of public concern, particularly given President Ruto’s earlier pledge to cut down on such positions. Despite an initial team of about seven advisors, the number has surged to approximately 17 within ten months, with more expected under the administration’s broad-based exchange programme.
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