The High Court has issued a conservatory order halting the ongoing recruitment of key positions at the Social Health Authority (SHA), following a petition filed by the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO).
Justice Lawrence N. Mugambi, sitting at the Milimani Law Courts, granted the order after KUCO questioned the legality of the recruitment process.
The court directed that KUCO serve its petition and supporting documents by March 24, 2025, with responses required within three days. Until the case is heard and resolved, SHA, along with its staff, officers, and agents, is barred from continuing with the hiring process.
The suspended recruitment involved filling several senior roles, including Assistant Director of County Coordination, Director of Benefits Management, and Principal Officers for county and beneficiary management.
KUCO’s Secretary-General, George Gibore, contended that the recruitment exercise violated legal procedures and warranted judicial scrutiny to ensure fairness and compliance with established norms.
Separately, Justice Byram Ongaya issued an additional ruling, declaring the SHA recruitment process unconstitutional and discriminatory. This judgment followed a petition filed by a private citizen.
“The order of prohibition is hereby issued, restraining the 1st respondent (SHA) from proceeding with the recruitment process announced on its website in March 2025, which unlawfully limited eligibility to former staff of the now-defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund,” Justice Ongaya ruled.
The matter is set for further hearing on April 10, 2025, when the court will provide additional directions.
