NAIRROBI, Kenya – Attorney General Dorcas Oduor has taken center stage in the legal dispute over the Sh50 e-Citizen convenience fee, advising Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to immediately implement a High Court order suspending the charges.
The directive comes after the Court of Appeal last week dismissed the government’s request to delay enforcement of Justice Chacha Mwita’s April 1, 2025, judgment.
With the stay bid rejected, the High Court orders remain in effect even as the substantive appeal continues.
Dr Benjamin Magare Gikenyi had accused senior government officials of contempt for allegedly ignoring the court’s directive.
However, AG Oduor defended the state, insisting that ministries had already begun implementing the orders while pursuing legal avenues to challenge the ruling.
“The officials are duty-bound to comply with the court orders while taking necessary steps to align the e-Citizen system with the judgment,” Oduor told the court.
She explained that some of the changes—such as reallocating budget votes and reconfiguring internal processes—require statutory procedures and cannot be completed instantly.
The AG emphasized that the actions taken so far demonstrate the government’s commitment to the rule of law, with ministries showing good faith in initiating compliance measures.
The court is expected to issue further directions after reviewing both the non-compliance allegations and the government’s explanations.
