NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 23 – President Mwai Kibaki has appointed renowned constitutional lawyer PLO Lumumba as the Director of Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC).
In a gazette notice, the President also appointed Prof Jane Onsongo and lawyer Pravin Bowry as Assistant Directors.
Each appointment is for five years.
The three were recruited by the KACC Advisory Board and approved by Parliament in June.
Dr Lumumba takes the helm after the resignation of Justice Aaron Ringera in September last year. Deputy Director John Mutonyi has been the acting director since then. Mr Ringera resigned as the KACC director due to public pressure for him to step down after his controversial re-appointment by the President. Parliament had voted to declare the re-appointment as illegal.
Mr Ringera’s two assistants Fatuma Sichale and Smokin Wanjala who had been re-appointed alongside Justice Ringera also resigned.
Dr Lumumba served as the Secretary to the defunct Constitution of Kenya Review Commission. He also unsuccessfully contested the Kamukunji parliamentary seat during the 2007 General election under the little known, Chama Cha Umma (CCU) party.
He holds a doctorate degree in law from the University of Gent, Belgium and has taught law at the University of Nairobi for 17 years and also practiced for 23 years as an advocate of the High Courts in Kenya and Tnazania.
Mr Bowry, an expert in both criminal and civil law, is an advocate of the High Court and the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda that seats in Arusha, Tanzania.
Prof Jane Onsongo is an associate professor of education and deputy director of research at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
She holds a PhD in higher and further education from University College.
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