PSC boss Francis Meja faces jail over contempt of court in DPP removal case: "We didn’t see orders"

Senior officials at the Public Service Commission PSC, including chairperson Francis Meja, face potential six-month jail terms over alleged contempt of court. The accusations stem from a petition challenging reforms to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions DPP. PSC officials deny defying court orders, stating they were unaware of conservatory directives issued on Thursday, March 12, which barred further action. The contempt proceedings were triggered by a petition from Jane Ann Onyango, who challenged PSC’s public participation on draft regulations for removing the DPP. Onyango argued that the DPP’s office requires independence and changes could expose it to executive interference. Despite a court directive, PSC held a virtual stakeholder validation forum on Thursday, March 23, which Onyango described as a violation. In High Court in Kisumu filings, Meja stated he learned of the orders after the validation exercise concluded. PSC Deputy Commission Secretary Mary Kimonye explained that orders served on Monday, March 16, were not acted upon due to the Commission Secretary/CEO being out of office, causing administrative challenges. Several commissioners, including Dr Irene Asienga, Mwanamaka Mabruki, Harun Maalim, and Paul Famba, also argued there was no willful disobedience, stating they were unaware of the orders during the March 23 forum. PSC also noted previous legal challenges regarding the same regulations were dismissed or withdrawn, affirming its mandate for