Nelson Havi lines up for plum job in Ruto government
Former LSK president Nelson Havi.
Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) boss Nelson Andayi Havi is among the eight people shortlisted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) for the position of Solicitor General.
Mr Havi is a member of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party legal team and vied for the Westlands Parliamentary seat in the August General Election but lost to Tim Wanyonyi of ODM.
Former Jubilee Party deputy executive director and head of legal and compliance MaryKaren Kigen-Sorobit, who has had a long association with President William Ruto, has also been shortlisted.
A former deputy chief executive officer of the Law Society of Kenya, Ms Kigen-Sorobit was a member of the defunct Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board that was chaired by Mr Sharad Rao.
At LSK, she deputised Mr Apollo Mboya, who left after his term ended on February 1, 2016.
Vetting board
After her term at the vetting board ended, Ms Kigen-Sorobit was picked to represent Jubilee on the panel that hired some of the current electoral commissioners and those who left.
Also conspicuous in the shortlisting is the ardent supporter of President Ruto from Gusiiland Shadrack John Mose who lost the Kitutu Masaba Parliamentary seat to Clive Gisero of ODM.
George Kithi, who vied for the Kilifi gubernatorial seat and lost to ODM's Gideon Mung'aro, has also found himself on the shortlist. Mr Kithi garnered 64,326 votes coming at position three after Mr Mung’aro and current Public Service Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa who got 68,893 votes.
Beatrice Mugeni Meso, a former Kenya Power General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary between 2014-2019 is also among those shortlisted.
Shortlisted candidates
Initially, she had applied for Six (6) judge position vacancies at the Court of Appeal that attracted 68 shortlisted candidates recently.
The position of Solicitor General is currently held by Kennedy Ogeto who was appointed during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s era.
Mr Ogeto succeeded Njee Muturi who was then moved to the post of State House Deputy Chief of Staff in changes during the Jubilee administration.
The law provides that the solicitor general serves for five years with a window of renewal for another term. Mr Ogeto's term is thus set to end in March 2023.
After the PSC interviews slated for December 13 and 14, President Ruto will forward the name of the successful applicant to the National Assembly for vetting and approval.
The Office of the Attorney General (AG) Act provides that the Solicitor General will assist the (AG) in the performance of his duties.
A member of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) Paul Lilan, who is also a Nairobi-based lawyer is also on the list and Stephen Ochieng Mallowah who was one of the 45 public prosecutors fired in 2018 by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji.
Another person shortlisted for the plum position is Beatrice Adhiambo Akuno.
