The Public Service boss Prof Margaret Kobia has dismissed claims that President Uhuru Kenyatta has been overlooking the youth when making senior government appointments.

Speaking when she appeared on K24 TV’s Punchline on Sunday night, Prof Kobia said that if Uhuru appoints a 25-year-old to chair a board, they will feel inadequate because they lack experience.

“If you appoint a 25-year-old to chair a board, they will feel inadequate because they lack experience. And this is not a full time job, it pays so little. They only sit quarterly; it is not about the old versus the young. It is about the skills you bring to the table at the time,” said Prof Kobia.

Last week, the Employment Court ordered the suspension of former Othaya MP Mary Wambui’s appointment to the National Employment Authority (NEA) board.

Justice Hellen Wasilwa directed that Ms Wambui should not assume office until a petition challenging her appointment is heard and determined.

Her appointment was contested by the Kenya Young Parliamentarians, who claimed that the Othaya MP is not qualified to lead NEA as its chairperson.

But the Public Service CS said their dispute is tainted by gender bias and they will take up the matter on behalf of Ms Wambui, even though the negative publicity may push the Othaya MP to reconsider the appointment.  

The petitioner claimed that the former Othaya MP does not meet the requirements set by Section 10(2) of the National Employment Authority Act, which requires at least seven years of experience in human resource management.

The Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association is headed by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.  

Ms Wambui was appointed as the NEA chairperson on October 14, by the Labour CS Ukur Yattani.

But Ms Wambui defended her appointment last week, saying that she got the job because “she is better than those complaining.”