The Public Service Commission (PSC) is on the spot following revelations that it sat on an appointment letter meant for John Burugu, the successful candidate for Secretary, Refugee Affairs — only to later turn around and cast aspersions on his conduct.
For over a year, PSC knowingly allowed the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, Prof. Julius Bitok, to block the forwarding of the appointment letter to Mr. Burugu. Prof. Bitok, the authorized officer, blatantly refused to act on the commission’s decision, denying Burugu the opportunity to formally assume office.
Rather than take decisive corrective steps, PSC chose inaction — effectively enabling an abuse of office and miscarrying justice, fairness, and equity in public employment.
Now, in a startling twist, PSC appears to be shifting blame onto Mr. Burugu, creating a misleading narrative that he held two government positions simultaneously — a claim not only dishonest but deeply damaging to his professional credibility and reputation.
Observers say PSC had the legal and procedural latitude to directly transmit the appointment letter to Burugu, which would have allowed him to resign formally from the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) and assume his new role substantively.
Their failure to do so signals a serious dereliction of duty and suggests calculated efforts to derail the recruitment outcome in favor of another candidate.The latest directive by the current PS, Dr. Belio Kipsang, ordering a rushed handover from Burugu, is being viewed as a cover-up for the failings of his predecessor, Prof. Bitok.
It attempts to erase the record of Burugu’s valid appointment and mask the PSC’s failure to execute a lawful recruitment process.
Worse still, this case underscores systemic favoritism and political interference in civil service appointments — a violation of the constitutional principles under Article
