Kenya’s Civil Service Personnel Authority has denied reports that it has hired a popular former television presenter who was recently acquitted of murder charges.
Civil Service Minister Moses Kuria told the Nation news website over the weekend that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has appointed former television presenter Jacques Maribe as the ministry’s communications director.
The announcement sparked widespread criticism on social media, raising questions about whether Mr Maribe’s appointment had followed a proper recruitment process.
The PSC rejected Mr Kuria’s claims on Thursday, saying it had not appointed Mr Maribe and had not received a request for his appointment.”For the record, the said position will be filled through a competitive process should a vacancy arise,” PSC Chairman Anthony Muchiri said in a statement shared on social media.
Maribe was acquitted of murdering businessman Monica Kimani last month after a six-year trial that left Kenyans in suspense.
She and her ex-fiancé Joseph Irungu, also known as ‘Jowi’, were charged with the murder of a businessman who was found with his throat cut in his Nairobi apartment in 2018.
On Wednesday, the court found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to death.