The High Court in Nairobi has issued temporary orders restraining the ICT Authority Board from terminating the contract of its Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Kamanguya, amid an ongoing legal dispute over his reappointment.
Justice Nduma Nderi of the Employment and Labour Relations Court granted the orders pending the determination of a petition filed by Kamanguya. In his ruling, the judge also barred the Board from discussing the CEO’s reappointment until the matter is fully heard.
“An injunction is issued restraining the Board from discussing the matter of reappointment of the petitioner pending the hearing and determination of this application,” the court directed.
Kamanguya claims the Board had initially approved his reappointment on March 6, 2025, and formally forwarded the recommendation to the Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy. He says the Cabinet Secretary endorsed his reappointment on March 10, granting him a new term set to begin on August 8, 2025.
However, tensions arose when the Board issued a notice for a special meeting on July 1, 2025, to review the reappointment. Kamanguya argues that the reappointment was valid and any attempt to revisit it is unlawful and in contempt of ongoing court proceedings.
He further referenced an active petition—Nairobi ELRC Petition No. E079 of 2025—filed by Brian Hori and Victor Okoth against the Ministry of ICT and others, noting that the matter is still pending in court.
Despite the court orders, the Board proceeded on Tuesday to revoke Kamanguya’s reappointment, raising procedural concerns. They cited that his application, submitted on February 6, 2025, fell outside the six-month deadline prescribed in public service rules.
The Board also questioned the legitimacy of the March 6 meeting, alleging it had been improperly reconvened without proper notice. Additionally, they pointed out that Kamanguya himself prepared the renewal proposal, bypassing the performance review process usually conducted by an independent committee.
The case is slated for hearing on July 7, 2025. Until then, Kamanguya remains in office under the protection of the court’s interim orders.
