Court suspends appointment of Francis Kipkurui as of BCLB chairman

High Court Judge Nduma Nderi has temporarily suspended the appointment of Dr Francis Kipkurui Sang as the Chairman of the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) and reinstated Anthony Kimani Kungu as the chairman.

This follows a suit filed at the Milimani law court by Okiya Omutata who argues that Dr Sang was irregularly, unreasonably, illegally and unconstitutionally appointed under the State Corporations Act (Cap 446).

Mr Omutata argues that the President, while making the appointment, simultaneously removed Anthony Kimani Kungu as the chairman.

“In making the purported changes, the President invoked a law that does not vest him with the powers to so, being, Section 7(3) of the State Corporations Act an action that automatically invalidates the purported changes in total,” Mr Omtata said in his petition.

The petitioner argues that Mr Kungu was never removed from being the Chairperson of the board and remains validly in office for the remainder of his three year term adding that the president violated Betting Lotteries and Gaming Act in appointing a new chairman of the board.

On June 24^th , President Uhuru Kenyatta gazzetted various changes in 28 state corporations and  appointed 23 people to serve as chairperson’s of various boards among them the appointment  of Dr Sang.