NAIROBI, Kenya — A parliamentary committee has recommended that President William Ruto reassign Principal Secretary nominee Stephen Isaboke to a different state department to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
The nomination of Isaboke to the Broadcasting and Telecommunications docket, under the Ministry of Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy, has raised concerns due to his links to GOtv Kenya Limited.
The National Assembly’s Communication, Information, and Innovation Committee, chaired by Dagoreti South MP John Kiarie, has expressed support for Isaboke’s appointment but with the condition that he be reassigned to another department once he takes the oath of office.
The committee highlighted the issue of Isaboke’s part ownership in GOtv Kenya, stressing that his new role could interfere with his personal interests in the company.
“In order to avert any potential conflict of interest relating to part ownership of GOtv Kenya Limited, the appointing authority reassigns the nominee to a different state department upon taking the oath of office,” the committee stated in its report to the House.
The committee’s recommendation follows a memorandum from the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration, and Agriculture (PIC-SSAA), led by Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe, which flagged Isaboke’s connections to GOtv Africa Limited as a potential conflict.
The committee’s decision draws parallels to a past case in which the 12th Parliament’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee recommended that Mwende Mwinzi renounce her US citizenship before being appointed as Kenya’s Ambassador to South Korea to avoid any conflicts of interest.
Although that recommendation was not followed by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta, the precedent remains relevant in this case.
Although the recommendation is not legally binding, it gives President Ruto the option to either reassign Isaboke or proceed with his original appointment.
Members of Parliament could also strike the clause, leaving the final decision at the discretion of the President.
In response to the concerns, Isaboke has announced his resignation as director of GOtv Kenya in an effort to address the potential conflict of interest.
He stated, “If approved, I intend to take further steps as to my shareholding. I strongly deny that my nominated position as PS will put me in a position of conflict because I will recuse myself from any decisions touching on this entity. In addition to my resignation, as a director, I intend to review my continued shareholding with GOtv.”
The ball is now in President Ruto’s court as Parliament deliberates on the next steps for Isaboke’s nomination.
