President William Ruto’s nominee for chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), Duncan Oburu Ojwang, has declined the appointment.

In a communication to Parliament on Tuesday, August 12, Ojwang notified of his withdrawal just a week after his name was forwarded for vetting.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula told the House that Ojwang had “respectfully” turned down the offer, citing personal reasons and a potential conflict of interest.

“In light of the foregoing, the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs is directed to cease any further consideration of the nominee,” said Wetang’ula, directing the Clerk of the House to notify the appointing authority immediately.

Ojwang was nominated on August 5,to replace the late Roseline Odhiambo Odede, who died in January after a short illness. 

He was one of six candidates shortlisted in May from a pool of 17 applicants.

A day after his nomination, the Katiba Institute and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) challenged the appointment in court. They argued that appointing a male chairperson while the vice chair is also male violates constitutional provisions on gender equity, specifically the two-thirds gender rule.

The petition sought declarations and orders to nullify Ojwang’s nomination and compel strict compliance with gender requirements for appointments to independent commissions. It also asked the court to declare invalid any actions taken under an unconstitutional appointment.

The commission’s vice chairperson is currently Raymond Nyeris.

Ojwang’s withdrawal ends the vetting process, with the task now reverting to the appointing authority to name a new nominee.