Government to appeal High Court’s ruling which disbanded CA Board

The Government through the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology is set to appeal after the High Court passed a ruling that the Communication Authority of Kenya, (CA) Board should be disbanded due irregularities in the appointment procedures.

This was announced by the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Dr. Fred Matiang’I who said that he had consulted the Attorney General, Githu Muigai on the way forward and later on filled an appeal at the Court of Appeal on the same.

He also maintained that as a ministry they felt they had done everything legally as per the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Act of 2013.

“We have appealed in the Court of Appeal so that we can explain ourselves. We have our strong views on the ruling too,” he said.

Mr Matiang’i also added that the board was formed by a selection panel independent of the government and in accordance with the same act adding that the panel comprised nominees from the Media Council of Kenya, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the Law Society of Kenya and the Institute of Engineers of Kenya.

Others were the Public Relations Society of Kenya, the Kenya National Union of Teachers, the Consumers Federation of Kenya and a representative of the ICT ministry. He also added that this was not happening for the first time as it had happened again in November 2013, where there was an appeal to have the regulator dismantled.

The decision to appeal followed an intense crisis meeting on Wednesday attended by Mr Matiang’i, CA board chairman Gituku Ngene, who was not affected by the ruling, the attorney-general and CA Director-General Francis Wangusi.

The board was gazetted on May 20, 2014 by Mr Matiang’i. The disbanded team comprises Mr Wilbert Choge, Mr Ken Nyaundi, Ms Grace Munjuri, Prof Levy Obonyo, Ms Hellen Kinoti, Ms Beatrice Opee and Mr Peter Mutie.