NAIROBI, Kenya—Duncan Oburu Ojwang’s vetting for the role of Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has been halted after he formally declined the appointment.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula told MPs on Tuesday that he had received a letter from Ojwang communicating his decision to turn down the nomination by President William Ruto.
In the letter, Ojwang cited personal reasons and a perceived conflict of interest for his withdrawal.
“You will recall that following receipt of a nomination from His Excellency the President of Duncan Oburu Ojwang for appointment as the Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the name and curriculum vitae were referred to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs for consideration and reporting to the House,” Wetang’ula said.
“However, I wish to convey to the House that I have this evening received a letter from the said nominee respectfully declining the nomination on account of personal reasons and perceived conflict of interest.”
Following the withdrawal, the Speaker directed the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to cease any further consideration of the nomination and instructed the Clerk of the National Assembly to inform the appointing authority immediately.
Ojwang, a legal scholar and practitioner, had been lined up to succeed the late Roseline Odhiambo Odede, who died in January 2025.
The committee had been scheduled to hold his approval hearing on Wednesday, but the session has now been cancelled.
His decision comes just days after the Katiba Institute and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) filed a petition in the High Court challenging the nomination, citing a violation of Article 250(11) of the Constitution, which requires the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of an independent commission to be of opposite genders.
With current Vice-Chair Raymond Nyeris being male, the petitioners argued that appointing Ojwang would breach the gender rule.
They accused the Selection Panel, the President, and the National Assembly of overlooking constitutional provisions and the KNCHR Act, as well as Kenya’s obligations under treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol.
The petition will be mentioned in court on September 17, 2025.
Ojwang’s withdrawal adds to a growing list of presidential nominees who have declined appointments under President Ruto’s administration.
