City lawyer moves to oust Ruto advisors, demands refund of public funds
Lempaa contends that the public remains uninformed about the actual duties of the advisors and their significance to the country.
The future of President William Ruto’s legal advisors now rests with the judiciary after a lawsuit was filed challenging their roles, salaries, and the criteria used for their appointment.
Nairobi-based lawyer Soyinka Lempaa brought the case before Justice Mwamuye, alleging that these positions are being misused to accommodate political rejects and reward loyalists.
Lempaa contends that the public remains uninformed about the actual duties of the advisors and their significance to the country, especially since the government already employs technocrats and Principal Secretaries whose responsibilities are clearly defined by law and overlap with those of the advisors.
He further argues, "There was no public notice or consultation regarding the creation of these offices; no input was sought on their necessity or effectiveness, and overall, the process lacked transparency in both establishment and recruitment."
Lempaa asserts that the law permits hiring at State House only for positions designated as personal staff of the President, and no other appointments are legally allowed.
He is urging the court to annul the appointments and order all advisors to repay the salaries they have received.
When President William Ruto formed his government, he pledged to cut down the number of presidential advisers as part of austerity measures.
Despite earlier promises, President Ruto currently has over 20 advisers, some holding ranks equivalent to Cabinet Secretaries and others comparable to Principal Secretaries, collectively costing more than Sh1 billion annually to maintain their offices.
This raises questions about the necessity of so many advisers, especially when Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and technocrats within the ministries are already in place and equipped to handle most of the responsibilities assigned to these advisors.
In under a year, the number of presidential advisers has surged from around seven to 20, with expectations of further additions, especially given the broad coalition between the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance and the ODM party.
This sharply contrasts with former President Mwai Kibaki’s second term, when he appointed only three advisers, including Prof. Kivutha Kibwana as constitutional and youth affairs adviser, and Raphael Tuju as media affairs adviser.
President Ruto’s team of advisers includes notable figures such as Makau Mutua, Moses Kuria, David Ndii, Monica Juma, Karisa Nzai, Edward Kisiangani, Joseph Boinnet, Jaoko Oburu, Silvester Kasuku, Harriette Chiggai, Ali Somane, Abdi Guliye, Steven Otieno, Dominic Menjo, Nancy Laibuni, Augustine Cheruiyot, Kennedy Ogeto, Mohammed Hassan, Henry Kinyua, and Joe Ager.
