By Grace Gilo
President William Ruto has assured that the government will ensure transparent recruitment of commissioners for the upcoming vacancies in constitutional commissions.
The President said the recruitment to positions of responsibility must demonstrate true fidelity to the rule of law.
The commissions and independent offices whose chairs and commissioners’ tenure have come to an end include the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Commission of Administration of Justice (Ombudsman), the Gender and Equality Commission and the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA).
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, where he received end-of-term reports from constitutional commission officials whose terms ended on Tuesday, President Ruto acknowledged that in certain institutions, the terms of all commissioners conclude simultaneously.
“I am aware that in certain commissions, like the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the Commission on Administrative Justice, the terms of office for the chairperson and all the commissioners expire at the same time, leaving the organisations in a state of suspense,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that service delivery remains uninterrupted, particularly in cases of delayed recruitment.
“The Office of the Deputy President, in close consultation with the Attorney-General and the constitutional commissions and Independent offices, will be tasked with preparing a Bill to give effect to the legal provisions for staggered recruitment of commissioners,” he added.
He commended the chairpersons and commissioners of constitutional commissions for their significant contributions to fostering a national dialogue on the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
The President highlighted the achievements of these commissions in realizing national values and principles of governance, promoting inclusion and cohesion, working towards the sustainability of the public wage bill, reforming policing, and combating corruption.
President Ruto announced the launch of the Zero Fault Audit Campaign, which aims to highlight the merits of having no audit queries in State agencies and departments.
The President stated that the campaign’s objective is to enhance accountability, transparency, integrity, and effective governance in public service by advocating for the responsible use and management of public resources.
“I believe that constitutional commissions have an opportunity to promote this approach in government ministries, departments and agencies,” the President remarked.
Following the submission of her report to the President, Lyn Mengich, Chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, noted that the public service wage bill has steadily decreased during her tenure, from 51.5 percent of revenues in 2018 to 46 percent in 2024.
She also mentioned that the commission has halted salary increases for State corporations and streamlined allowances, resulting in savings of KSh11.2 billion.
Anne Makori, Chairperson of IPOA, stated that the authority is “doing everything possible” to ensure police accountability, reporting that there were 20,000 complaints, of which 12,732 have been resolved.
Additionally, Chairpersons Joyce Mutinda of the Gender and Equality Commission and Florence Kajuju of the Commission of Administration of Justice presented the final reports of their respective organizations.