Media Council of Kenya (MCK) CEO David Omwoyo has dismissed Tabitha Mutemi as a member of the board which regulates the media industry.
According to Omwoyo, CS Joe Mucheru's board appointee, Ms Mutemi, could not serve in the board as she was an employee of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In a leaked letter dated January 11th, the CEO stated “The secretariat will no longer recognise Ms Mutemi as a board member of the Media Council of Kenya with immediate effect.”
The letter, which ropes in ICT CS Joe Mucheru and Attorney General Kariuki Kihara, has pitted media chiefs against each other.
Consequently, there has been a flurry of exchanges between the CEO and MCK Board Chairman Maina Muiruri.
According to Mutemi’s lawyers Kilonzo and Company Advocates, her removal is illegal and is likely to escalate to a court battle.
The lawyers argued that their client was being targeted for questioning suspicious expenditure at the council.
Mutemi's lawyers wrote to the MCK CEO, “You have no jurisdiction to remove or purport not to recognise a member appointed by the Cabinet Secretary in a gazette notice.”
“The Cabinet Secretary as the appointing authority is the only person who can cause the removal from office of Ms Mutemi," the letter read further.
Mutemi is not only the IEBC corporate communications manager but also the chairperson of the Association of Professional Broadcasters (APB).
No comments:
Post a Comment