Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Joe Mucheru is set to defend himself in court after he was accused of disregarding its orders.
The Uzalendo Institute of Leadership and Democracy asked the court to jail CS Mucheru for six months for contempt of court.
The lobby group argued that Mucheru appointed Stanley Kamanguya as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ICT Authority despite court orders barring him from executing the mandate.
Other than the outgoing ICT CS, Uzalendo also wants Kamanguya and two other senior officers in the ICT Ministry jailed for failing to honour summons.
Through lawyer James Oketch, the lobby group want arrest warrants issued for the four state officials.
While arguing that Kamanguya's appointment was unprocedural, Oketch detailed that the CEO accepted the job offer despite being aware of an injunction barring his appointment.
He accused two senior officers of facilitating the hostile takeover by hoodwinking other staff that Kamanguya was the new CEO.
However, the CEO defended his appointment, noting that his gazettement by CS Mucheru was procedural and thus asked the court to strike out other suits.
"The petitioner deceptively failed to disclose to the court that Kamanguya had already been appointed as CEO of the ICT Authority on August 8, 2022, and a notification to that effect published in the Kenya Gazette.
"Consequently, the petitioner knowingly misled the court to issue an injunctive order that was ineffectual," his lawyer responded to affidavits filed in court.
President William Ruto's advisor Korir Sing'oei had also questioned Kamanguya's appointment which he claimed was confirmed on August 8 and made public on September 15.
"An appointment made by Joe Mucheru on August 8 - a day to the elections - and purportedly communicated on September 15 is highly irregular and must be revisited," Sing'oei stated.
The case will be mentioned on Thursday, October 13.
