The High Court has temporarily stopped the swearing-in of four newly appointed members of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) board, following a legal challenge questioning the legality of their appointment by ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo.
The court order comes after a petition filed by Issa Alenyi, Patrick Karani, and Paul Ngwenywo, who argued that the CS acted prematurely by appointing the board members before the designated selection panel had completed its work.
Those appointed, veteran journalist Maina Muiruri, Susan Karago, Timothy Wanyonyi, and Tabitha Mutemi, were gazetted to serve a three-year term starting July 25, 2025. However, the petitioners told the court that the appointments were not only premature but also in violation of the Media Council Act, 2023. “The Cabinet
Secretary’s decision to appoint persons whose candidature is still under consideration by the selection panel, and to do so before the panel concludes its work, patently violates the Media Council Act and short-circuits the legal process,” the court papers read.
The Media Council Act outlines a clear process where a selection panel is mandated to publicly advertise, shortlist, interview, and forward names of suitable candidates to the Cabinet Secretary for appointment. According to the petitioners, this process was still ongoing when the appointments were made. They further highlighted that public funds had already been spent to support the panel’s operations and questioned why individuals who had not been vetted were selected.
The panel’s work, they noted, had been delayed by two unrelated court cases filed in 2023 by James Mutahi and Robert Ochieng. Despite these delays, the panel was said to be close to concluding its work. “The CS cannot act on his initiative.
He is legally bound to consider only the names forwarded to him by the panel,” they argued. The petitioners also flagged a contradiction in the same gazette notice that announced the appointments, it simultaneously declared vacancies on the board, a move they described as irregular and contradictory.
In their filing, the three argued that the appointments risk setting a dangerous precedent, potentially allowing Cabinet Secretaries to bypass established procedures and install politically aligned individuals to influential public positions. They claimed that qualified Kenyans who had already applied, or were planning to apply, had been unfairly denied an opportunity.
As a result, the petitioners are seeking court orders to: Suspend the gazette notice on appointments Bar Muiruri, Karago, Wanyonyi, and Mutemi from taking office or carrying out board functions Restrain MCK CEO David Omwoyo from making board-level decisions during the case The High Court has granted temporary orders until the matter is fully heard and determined.
 board, following a legal challenge questioning the legality of their appointment by ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo.){kind=link}