The National Assembly has approved the appointment of Francis Meja as the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission.
In a vote presided over by Speaker Moses Wetangula on Wednesday, February 25, the majority voted in favour of Meja’s appointment.
“Pursuant to provisions of Article 233 (2) of the Constitution, and Sections 3 and 8 of the Public Appointments Parliamentary Approval Act Cap 7(f), this house approves the appointment of Francis Major as the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission,” Wetangula declared.
The approval came after the National Assembly Committee on Labour recommended the appointment of the nominee.
Labour Committee Chairperson Ken Chonga stated that the committee had questions on the eligibility of the nominee since he had already served as a member of a commission.
The motion was seconded by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, who argued that Meja was very eligible and that the Constitution did not bar him from serving as PSC Chair.
“This nominee’s academic qualifications, professional experience and integrity were not brought into question. What was brought into question was eleigibilitly on four different areas: is the nominee eligible under 233(3).
“On the issue about him still serving, the law only bars him if he is still in office at the time of his appointment. As long as the nominee resigns before, then they are eligible,” Amollo explained.
Meja is one of the Commissioners of the Public Service Commission, and MPs argued that this places him in a better position to lead PSC.
Before PSC, he was appointed to the Council of Murang’a University of Technology by former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu.
Meja also served as a Director-General for the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
The nominee is credited for many reforms during his time at NTSA, including the digitisation of services offered by the Authority and automation through the Transport Integrated Management Systems (TIMS)
