President William Ruto has assured Kenyans of a transparent and lawful recruitment process for the upcoming vacancies in constitutional commissions. He emphasized the importance of adhering strictly to the rule of law in filling these critical roles.
During a speech at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, where he received end-of-term reports from officials of various constitutional commissions, President Ruto acknowledged the challenges that arise when the terms of commissioners in some institutions expire simultaneously.
The commissions and independent offices affected include the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman), the Gender and Equality Commission, and the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA).
President Ruto expressed concern that in some commissions, such as the SRC and the Commission on Administrative Justice, the simultaneous expiration of terms for both the chairperson and commissioners can leave the organizations in a state of uncertainty. He stressed the importance of ensuring uninterrupted service delivery during these periods and proposed pragmatic solutions, such as staggered appointments, to maintain continuity in the commissions’ work.
“The Office of the Deputy President, in close consultation with the Attorney-General and the constitutional commissions and independent offices, will be responsible for preparing a bill to implement the legal provisions for staggered recruitment of commissioners,” President Ruto announced.
The President also expressed his appreciation for the outgoing chairpersons and commissioners, recognizing their significant contributions to advancing the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, promoting national values and principles of governance, enhancing inclusion and cohesion, sustaining public wage bills, transforming policing, and combating corruption.
Additionally, President Ruto mentioned the government’s launch of the Zero Fault Audit Campaign, which aims to encourage accountability, transparency, integrity, and good governance within the public service by promoting the prudent use and management of public resources.
“I believe that constitutional commissions have a key role to play in promoting this approach within government ministries, departments, and agencies,” he stated.
During the event, Lyn Mengich, Chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, reported that the public service wage bill had decreased from 51.5% of revenues in 2018 to 46% in 2024 during her tenure. She also noted that the commission had frozen salary increases for state corporations and streamlined allowances, resulting in savings of KSh11.2 billion.
Anne Makori, Chairperson of IPOA, highlighted the authority’s efforts to ensure police accountability, revealing that 12,732 of the 20,000 complaints received had been resolved.
Chairpersons Joyce Mutinda of the Gender and Equality Commission and Florence Kajuju of the Commission on Administrative Justice also presented their end-of-term reports to the President.
