Govt officers may be sued over law campaigns

By MAZERA NDURYA
Posted Monday, July 26 2010 at 13:20

The 'No’ camp is contemplating to institute legal measures against permanent secretaries and other senior civil servants who are involved in campaigning for the proposed constitution.

The officers have been put on notice and are likely to face the law for allegations of using public funds to push through the proposed constitution.

Issuing the notice, former Kisauni legislator Anania Mwaboza accused civil servants for engaging in political activities citing that they are going against Public Service ethics and are liable for legal action.

Mwaboza said civil servants are meant to offer services to all Kenyans who happen to be tax payers adding that it will be unjust for tax payer’s money to be used against their wish.

Addressing supporters who are against the proposed constitution in various centres within Kisauni, the former assistant minister took issue with the government for being party to the misuse of the tax payer’s money.

“This is our money and any person who authorises its misuse is breaking the law and will have to face the consequences,’ said Mwaboza.

The charged politician said the current constitution is still in force and it states clearly that civil servants should not engage themselves in political activities.

He said unless the proposed constitution comes into force whoever goes contrary to the current one is doing so at his own peril.

"The “No” camp is currently consulting its legal advisers to institute legal charges against the permanent secretaries who are the accounting officers to their various ministries for misuse of public funds” he said.

Permanent secretaries are said to be crisscrossing the country purporting to do civic education to Kenyans before the forthcoming referendum.

According to Mwaboza, it is illegal for the Government to facilitate one camp to carry out civic education for the proposed constitution while it collects taxes from Kenyans belonging to either group.