Govt blocked from renewing Fazul Mahameds term as NGO board boss

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has directed the government not to renew the term of office of NGO Coordination board Executive Director Fazul Mahamed pending the determination of a case filed by activist Okiya Omtatah.

In orders directed to the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government, Justice Hellen Wasilwa ruled that Mr. Mahammed’s term which expired last month should not be extended nor should he be re-appointed.

The judge further prohibited Fazul from accessing offices of the NGO Coordination Board and carrying out the functions of the body.

Justice Wasilwa certified the case filed by Omtatah as urgent, with the mention date set for December 18, 2017.

In the suit, Omattah faults the Interior Cabinet Secretary for failing to commence, by July 24 this year, the process of competitively re-appointing or replacing Mahamed.

The activist argues that he is aggrieved that in defiance of the law, Mr Mahamed remains in office as the Executive Director of the NGO Co-ordination Board.

He claims that it will be irregular and contrary to both the Constitution and Statute to retain Mahamed in the public service after the expiry of his contract.

According to Omtatah, the Interior CS ought to have sent Mahammed on terminal leave and appointed an acting Executive Director on or about 23rd June 2017 but failed to do so.

He now wants the court to prohibit the respondents from extending Mahamed’s contractual tenure and order them to commence the recruitment of the new NGO boss according to the law.