The High Court has extended orders temporarily blocking Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria from appointing Ezekiel Otieno as CEO of the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) pending further directions by the court.
Similarly, Justice Mugure Thande consolidated the three lawsuits filed in court contesting Otieno’s gazettment.
“In the interest of expediting this matter, I do suo moto (on the courts own motion) consolidate the three petitions,” court ruled
Isack Guyo, Willies Oloo, and Duncan Odero filed the three applications.
In March of this year, Justice Thande halted Otieno’s appointment after Isack Lango Guyo contested his nomination on the grounds that he had serious integrity issues.
“A temporary order be and is hereby issued restraining the 1st respondent either acting on his own or through agents, from gazetting the interested party as a substantive chief executive office of Export processing Zones, pending the hearing and determination of this application,” court ruled in March this year.
Guyo claims in court papers that Otieno was negatively mentioned in a corruption case involving millions at the Youth Enterprise Fund.
He further claimed that on November 8, 2016, the High Court ruled that portion of the official’s funds be forfeited to the government.
In his court documents, petitioner Duncan Odero argues Otieno has been implicated in corruption and should be barred from accessing public coffers.
