Members of Parliament on Tuesday, July 4, rejected the appointment of Phyllis Wambui Wagacha as a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) owing to her age.
In a special motion filed by Runyenjes MP Karemba Muchangi and tabled before the House, the legislators rejected Wagacha's nomination in totality following the recommendations by the Departmental Committee on Labour.
In its report, the committee revealed that the 75-year-old had surpassed the age limit for workers set at 63 years.
"Taking into consideration the findings of the Departmental Committee on Labour in its report on the vetting of a nominee for the appointment as a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 ... this House rejects the appointment of Dr. Phyllis Wambui Wagacha as a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission," read part of the directive.
According to Muchangi, the report made four key considerations regarding Wagacha's nomination.
The committee found that the nominee was eligible for appointment to state office since she is a Kanyan citizen and does not hold dual citizenship.
The nominee also met the requirement of Chapter Six of the Constitution on upholding Leadership and Integrity.
Further, the committee noted that Wagacha had not held office in any political party, and has never been dismissed from office under article 75 of the Constitution.
Further, her expertise and knowledge on topical, administrative, and technical issues of SRC was not questioned.
Alluding to this, the MPs advocated for Wagacha to be enrolled as a consultant and not a permanent position.
The recruitment report from the Public Service Commission (PSC) indicated that Wagacha was nominated following a list narrowed from a field of 261 persons.
On May 23, 2023, Ruto nominated Wagacha for the role following the recommendation by the PSC who had two candidates for the post.
Her nomination elicited an uproar as critics faulted the president for reneging on his word on prioritising the youth for plum positions.
Further, they accused Ruto of doublespeak for criticising his predecessor's regime over recyling old faces in Uhuru Kenyatta's administration.
Wagacha holds a Doctoral Degree in Information Sciences from Moi University and has held various positions in the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) and the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).
