Court Squashes Uhuru’s Appointment of Former MPs to Board

Labour Court has squashed the appointment of Esther Murugi and Tiyah Galgalo to the National Land Commission board.

Judge Hellen Wasilwa said their appointment of Murugi (Former Nyeri Member of Parliament) and Galgalo (Former Isiolo Woman Representative) to the NLC board was irregular.

“The nomination of Esther Murugi Mathenge and Tiyah Galgalo is hereby quashed,” Lady Justice Wasilwa ruled.

President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed the two to the NLC board on October 15, 2019, and nine other commissioners.

The appointment of the two to the NLC board has faced challenges from the onset.

The National Assembly Lands (NAL) Committee had rejected the appointed of Galgalo on the grounds of falsifying her tax declarations.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), in a letter to the National Assembly Lands (NAL) Committee in September, accused Galgalo of falsified tax declarations.

KRA also said that investigations underway into her 2017 and 2018 tax returns.

Esther Murugi, on the other hand, faced wrath from Kenyans when she revealed her worth as close to Ksh400 million during vetting for the position by MPs.

She said that she was the ideal candidate for the position because of her 10 years’ experience in real estate and as a member of the NAL committee.

Kenyans of Twitter felt she was “too wealthy” to compete for a job with unemployed graduates.