Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, along with activist Magare Gikenyi and two other Kenyans, have taken legal action to challenge the creation of the Cabinet Administrative Secretaries (CAS) office in Kenya.
They have filed a lawsuit against the government, demanding a re-evaluation of the decision to establish this position.
In their case, the plaintiffs argue that the creation of the CAS office, along with that of the Head of Public Service, was done in violation of the law and should therefore be abolished. They further contend that the government is attempting to amend the law in its favor to allow for the appointment of CASs despite an ongoing case in the Court of Appeal that bars such appointments.
Named as co-accused in the lawsuit are the Attorney General, the Public Service Commission (PSC), and the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC).
If appointed by President William Ruto, CASs are slated to receive a gross salary of Ksh.780,000. This recommendation was made by the SRC to the PSC in April, with the salary breakdown including Ksh.459,113 in basic pay, Ksh.165,000 in house allowance, and Ksh.155,887 in salary market adjustment.
This move comes amidst national dialogue concerning the government’s significant pending bills. Initially, the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee had limited the number of CASs to 22, but this restriction was later lifted to grant the president discretion in appointing the number of CASs.
