Reprieve for Wangusi as court extends tenure at CA
Communications Authority (CA) Director-General Francis Wangusi will now remain in office until September 10 when a case against the appointment of the new board will be mentioned.
Employment and Labour Relations court Judge Byrum Ongaya stopped the recruitment of a new boss to replace Wangusi, pending the hearing of the case filed by Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek).
“Interim orders issued on August 13 are hereby extended,” ruled Ongaya
CA, through Githu Muigai, wanted the orders vacated saying Wangusi’s contract elapsed on August 22 and the court cannot rewrite a contract that has expired.
“The motion coming for hearing today appears to be exhausted because it is talking about a recruitment exercise,” Githu told the court.
Justice Ongaya however extended the status quo orders which allowed Wangusi to continue being in office and directed the matter be mentioned on September 10 when a similar matter comes up.
Wangusi who was recently replaced by Mercy Wanjau, had vowed not to hand over to the new appointee, saying her recruitment was illegal.
Purported successor
Wanjau, who until her appointment was the CA legal services director, was picked to replace Wangusi on grounds that Wangusi had attained the mandatory retirement age.
But Wangusi vowed to stay put, saying he still had one year to go in his contract with the Communications Authority.
Wangusi got the reprieve only days after his purported successor Mercy Wanjau, who had been appointed by the board in an acting capacity, had given him a 30 day notice to vacate a CA house.
Through lawyer Henry Kurauka, Cofek argued that the recruitment was being conducted in a shadowy manner and single-handedly by the chairman.
The consumers body argues that the recruitment had been worsened by the ongoing separate cases, challenging the lawfulness of the amended Section 6B of The Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998.
The case will now be mentioned on September 10.
