President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nomination is in line with a directive from the High Court on January 21 to do so within 21 days. FILE 

President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated a chairman and four members of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, bringing closer to an end to a long wait for the replacement of the institution’s leadership.
In a letter to the National Assembly, President Kenyatta nominated Kagwiria Mbogori as chairperson and Susan Shatikha Sivusia, George Morara Monyoncho, Vincent Suiyanka Lempaa and Jedidah Wakonyo Waruhiu as members.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi forwarded the names to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, which will vet the nominees and then recommend to the rest of the House whether to approve or reject them.
Mr Muturi directed the committee to notify the nominees and the public on Friday February 14 on where and when the approval hearings would be held.
The public would also be invited to submit their views on the nominees in the form of memoranda and affidavits.
The committee will start the approval hearings on February 20 and was ordered to submit their report to the House on or before February 27.
COURT DIRECTIVE
President Kenyatta’s nomination is in line with a directive from the High Court on January 21 to do so within 21 days.
Justice Isaac Lenaola ruled then that the President was wrong to set up a panel to recruit the commissioners and chairman because the nominees identified by the first one had not been rejected by the National Assembly.
Mr Brian Weke and Mr Japheth Muroko had challenged the appointment procedure in court.
The petitioners claimed that re-advertising and shortlisting another set of candidates for the posts was unconstitutional and illegal.
Through lawyer Anthony Oluoch, they submitted that it was wrong for the AG to start the recruitment afresh when a previous panel had completed interviews and submitted names to the President.