NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 13 – The vetting of Duncan Oburu Ojwang for the position of Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) will not proceed after he formally declined the nomination.
In a communication to the House on Tuesday, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula informed Members of Parliament that he had received a letter from Ojwang in which he turned down the appointment by President William Ruto.
The nominee cited personal reasons and a perceived conflict of interest as the basis for his decision.
“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 in his address.
“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.
He further instructed the Clerk of the National Assembly to notify the appointing authority immediately.
The committee had been scheduled to conduct the approval hearing for Ojwang on Wednesday. The session will now not take place.
Ojwang, a legal scholar and practitioner, had been poised to succeed the late Roseline Odhiambo Odede, who passed away in January 2025, as KNCHR Chairperson, leading the commission in its mandate to promote and protect human rights in Kenya.
His decision now leaves the position vacant until the President submits a fresh nomination.
The withdrawal comes days after Katiba Institute and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) filed a petition at the High Court, challenging the nomination as unconstitutional.
They argued it violated Article 250(11), which bars the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of an independent commission from being of the same gender.
With Vice-Chair Raymond Nyeris already male, nominating Ojwang breached the gender rule.
The petitioners accused the Selection Panel, the President, and the National Assembly of ignoring the Constitution and the KNCHR Act, discriminating against women candidates, and flouting Kenya’s commitments under treaties like CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol.
The case will be mentioned on September 17, 2025.
