The Employment and Labour Relations Court has suspended Kiambu County’s recruitment of medical specialists after a doctor exposed startling irregularities in the hiring process, including that interviews were scheduled before the application deadline had even passed.
In a ruling that has frozen the county’s health department staffing plans, Lady Justice H. Wasilwa granted conservatory orders on October 20, 2025, preventing Kiambu County from either dismissing current medical specialists or recruiting new ones pending the determination of a lawsuit filed by Dr. Gathoni Njeri Muriithi.
The case has exposed what appears to be a deeply flawed recruitment process that has left legal experts questioning the county’s adherence to basic administrative fairness.
The controversy began when Dr. Muriithi, a qualified obstetrician and gynaecologist, arrived at the Kiambu County offices on October only to discover that the county had already shortlisted candidates and scheduled interviews for October 13, two days before the application window officially closed.
“It’s like showing up to a race only to find the medals were already awarded yesterday,”.
Dr. Muriithi, who holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Nairobi and recently completed her Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, found herself in the peculiar position of applying for a job after the interviews had allegedly already been conducted.
Upon checking the county’s website, her suspicions were confirmed: a full list of shortlisted candidates had been published, complete with interview dates that preceded the application deadline. The county had also invited public feedback on the shortlisted candidates by October 10, further evidence that the selection process was well underway before the official closing date.
Henry Kurauka, the advocate representing Dr. Muriithi, argues that the county’s actions represent a clear violation of multiple constitutional provisions. “The respondents purported to act capriciously, unjustly, unfairly, irrationally, unreasonably, maliciously, in bad faith, unlawfully and unconstitutionally,” states the court filing.
The legal challenge cites Articles 27, 41, and 47 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality and freedom from discrimination, fair labour practices, and fair administrative action respectively. The petition also invokes the Fair Administrative Action Act of 2015 and relevant sections of the County Governments Act.
Justice Wasilwa’s decision to certify the case as urgent and grant the conservatory orders indicates the court’s recognition of the potential irreparable harm to both Dr. Muriithi’s career prospects and the broader principle of fair public sector recruitment.
For now, the ruling maintains the status quo in Kiambu County’s health department, protecting current medical specialists from dismissal while preventing the county from proceeding with what Dr. Muriithi’s legal team characterizes as a fundamentally flawed recruitment process.
The matter is scheduled for an inter partes hearing on October 28, 2025, where the County Government of Kiambu and its Public Service Board will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
