Among the people who appeared for the interviews were former Nyeri MP Esther Murugi, Prof Paul Musili (lawyer), city lawyer Gerishom Otachi, land expert Dr Mwenda Makathimo and Mr Hussein Farah.
The NLC chairperson’s job is one of the most unenviable assignments characterised by slow pace of land reforms, infighting among commissioners and several cases of corruption denting its public image.
Dr Swazuri was hounded out of office by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) amid claims of fraud
Former Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) commissioner-general John Njiraini has dropped his quest to chair the National Land Commission (NLC), just one week after he was shortlisted and interviewed for the job.
In a letter dated August 6 and addressed to the selection panel’s chairperson, Pricilla Nyokabi, Mr Njiraini said he had opted out of the race to pursue unspecified interests.
“I wish to communicate my decision to withdraw for the position of Chairman of the National Land Commission to pursue other interests,” said Mr Njiraini in the brief letter.
“I wish to thank you and other panel members for having granted me the opportunity to present my ideas on how the important national institution can be transformed through the injection of fresh leadership dynamic.”
Mr Njiraini appeared before the Nyokabi-led panel on July 29 alongside 10 other candidates seeking to succeed Dr Muhammad Swazuri whose controversy-tainted six-year term ended in February.
Among the people who appeared for the interviews were former Nyeri MP Esther Murugi, Prof Paul Musili (lawyer), city lawyer Gerishom Otachi, land expert Dr Mwenda Makathimo and Mr Hussein Farah.
Others gunning for the job are Mr Robert Kilimo (surveyor), former Gatanga MP Humphrey Njuguna, former FIDA Kenya chairperson Naomi Wagereka, former Isiolo woman representative Tiyah Galgalo and Mr Patrick Adolwa, infrastructure director at Konza Technopolis Development Authority.
Ongoing recruitment
Ms Nyokabi Thursday declined to respond to our calls and questions regarding the ongoing recruitment.
The NLC chairperson’s job is one of the most unenviable assignments characterised by slow pace of land reforms, infighting among commissioners and several cases of corruption denting its public image.
Dr Swazuri was hounded out of office by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) amid claims of fraud. The EACC suspects that NLC officers have inflated land compensation rates for nearly every public infrastructure development made in the past six years.
Mr Njiraini left KRA in June this year, having served as commissioner-general for six years. The KRA boss does not undergo parliamentary vetting.
Before his ascension to the top position at the tax agency, he invited the wrath of parliamentarians by demanding taxes on salaries and allowances paid to MPs.
Ms Nyokabi’s team is supposed to pick two out of the 10 applicants and forward their names to President Uhuru Kenyatta, who will nominate one of them for the position of NLC chairperson.
Vetting
Under the NLC Act, President Kenyatta has to forward his choice to Parliament for vetting within 14 days.
Ms Nyokabi also has an extra task of picking 16 names from the list of 70 applicants interviewed last week for the position of NLC commissioners.
Mr Kenyatta is supposed to nominate eight commissioners to serve alongside the person he settles on as the NLC chairperson.
The MPs must make a decision within 21 days after receiving the names of the President’s nominees on whether to approve or reject the list following the vetting.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
