Consumers move to court to block Ruto’s CAK board appointment over blunder
By Zipporah Ngwatu, August 22, 2025The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has moved to the High Court seeking conservatory orders barring the newly appointed chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Communication Authority of Kenya, Charles Kamau Karondo, from taking over the office.
Through a certificate of urgency filed at the Milimani Constitutional and Human Rights Division, the petitioner argues that President William Ruto disregarded the mandatory selection panel envisaged under section 6B to appoint Kamau as the new non-executive CAK Board Chairperson.
“Despite clear or express constitutional and statutory provisions, the President on August 8, 2025, purported to appoint Charles Kamau Karondo as non-executive chairperson of the board of the Communication Authority of Kenya for a period of three years, without convening the mandatory selection panel,” part of the application read.
According to COFEK, the CAK Board as presently constituted is not independent as contemplated under section 6B and Article 34(5) but instead beholden to the executive arm of government, thereby undermining the freedom of the media, consumer protection, and the integrity of the regulatory framework.
They further assert that the process leading to the appointment of Kamau by President Ruto was undertaken without public participation as required by the Constitution.
“The continued operations of the impugned Board are unconstitutional and offend the national values of good governance, accountability, and integrity as guaranteed under Articles 73 and 232 of the Constitution,” COFEK states in the application.
Rights of consumers
Additionally, the body states that the continued operation of the constituted Board infringes the rights of the consumers under Article 46 and also erodes values of transparency of independent constitutional institutions.
COFEK now wants the court to suspend the appointment of Kamau until the petition filed against his appointment is heard and determined.
“That pending the hearing and determination of this application and the petition, a conservatory order be issued suspending Gazette Notice No. 14893/2022 dated August 8, 2025, purporting to appoint Charles Kamau Karondo as the non-executive chairperson of the Board of the Communications Authority of Kenya,” part of the sought orders read.
COFEK also wants the court to issue an order restraining the respondents (the National Assembly, the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy and the Attorney General) from making any further appointments to the CAK Board otherwise than in strict compliance with section 6B of the Kenya Information and Communication Act and Article 34 (5) of the Constitution.
President Ruto appointed Kamau to the position after revoking the appointment of businesswoman Mary Wambui Mungai as chairperson through a gazette notice on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Wambui had been appointed to the position in December 2022.