National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula on Wednesday adjourned the vetting of nominees for the 51 positions of Principal Secretary following a court order issued Tuesday.

Wetangula, however, revealed that the August House that he heads will file a challenge against the court decision with immediate effect to unlock the now stagnated process.

The Speaker directed all the committees that had started vetting the PS nominees to immediately suspend the process to await the outcome of the ongoing court process.

“It is notified to all chairpersons of departmental committees, all persons nominated as Principal Secretaries and the general public that the vetting of persons nominated to serve as principal secretaries is hereby suspended forthwith until further notice,” said Wetangula.

He directed the National Assembly lawyers to file a challenge against the court decision.

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“I have directed our Litigation Counsel to move the concerned court to set aside the ex-parte orders based on various legal grounds. Thereafter, the proceedings will resume subject to the directions of the Court,” added the Speaker.

Justice Nzioki wa Makau on Tuesday ordered Parliament to halt the PS nominees vetting that started on Monday until a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) challenging the validity of the list of 51 PS nominees assembled by the Public Service Commission (PSC).

LSK termed the list of nominees picked from 477 candidates shortlisted by the PSC chaired by Anthony Muchiri as discriminatory and sideline members of most ethnic communities.

According to LSK, in its petition filed before a Nairobi court, the list of nominees for Principal Secretaries is dominated by two ethnic communities and does not reflect the face of Kenya.

They legal body argues that nominations by PSC are illegal and unconstitutional as they lack regional and ethnic balance and also failed to observe the two-thirds gender requirement.

LSK argues in court that “13 nominees are from members of the Kalenjin community from the Rift Valley, and 13 others are from Central Kenya region, to the detriment of the other 40 tribes and communities, contrary to pluralism of the country and depicts regional imbalance.”

It further argues that the list contains names of 11 women out of the 51 nominees picked and the lawyers want the city court to nullify the list and direct PSC to repeat the process.

21 PS nominees had already been vetted by Members of Parliament in various select committees with 20 more remaining.

Those already vetted are;

1. Dr Korir Sing’oei (Foreign Affairs)

2. Dr Paul Ronoh (Water and Sanitation)

3. Chris Kiptoo (National Treasury)

4. Julius Korir (Cabinet Affairs)

5. Prof Julius Bitok (Citizen Services)

6. Aurelia Rono (Parliamentary Affairs)

7. Harry Kimutai (Livestock Development

8. Peter Tum (Medical Services)

9. Abdi Dubart (East African Community)

10. Patrick Mariro (Defence)

11. Betsy Muthoni Njagi (Blue Economy and Fisheries)

12. Roseline Njogu (Diaspora Affairs)

13. Gitonga Mugambi (Irrigation)

14. Patrick Kiburi Kilemi (Cooperatives)

15. Dr Josephine Mburu (Health Standards and Professional Management)

16. James Muhati (Economic Planning)

17. Esther Ngero (Performance and Delivery Management)

18. Alfred K’Ombundo (Trade)

19. Raymond Omollo (Interior and National Administration)

20. Abubakar Hassan (Investment Promotion),

21. Juma Mukhwana (Industry)