Lawyer Mwangi appointed to replace Miguna

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has appointed prominent lawyer and legal commentator Paul Mwangi to replace Miguna Miguna as his advisor on legal affairs.

Mr Mwangi was appointed on Friday but will officially start his duties in January.

The letter appointing Mr Mwangi was signed by the Permanent Secretary in the PM’s office, Mohamed Isahakia.

“It is true that I have been appointed the Prime Minister’s advisor on legal affairs. I received the news on Friday but I will formally start my duties in January,” Mr Mwangi told Nation on phone.

The move effectively brings to an end Mr Miguna’s engagement with the PM after unsuccessfully appealing to the courts to be reinstated.

The 44 year old Sunday Nation columnist is an accomplished lawyer with nineteen years experience in criminal, civil and constitutional litigation and 24 years engagement in legal analysis and publication of legal knowledge.

His career objective as contained in his curriculum vitae is “to become a successful court room lawyer, to observe the highest standards of professional ethics and to campaign for and participate in the reform of laws and the establishment of the rule of law in Kenya.”

Mr Mwangi joins the PM’s office in Mr Odinga’s final year as the Prime Minister and will play a key role in interpreting tricky laws such as the Politicall Parties Act and the Elections Act and ensuring that his boss complies with them as he launches a third attempt to capture the country’s presidency come the 2012 elections.

Mr Miguna’s fate was sealed last week after he lost the fight to have his suspension in August overturned by the High Court.

High Court judge Mohamed Warsame ruled that Mr Miguna was not a civil servant but a political appointee in the PM’s office.

His appointment as the PM’s advisor on coalition maters could thus be terminated without reference to the Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations.

“He is a man who exhibits mental and emotional fits in his defence of issues and principles which adhere to him,” the judge observed while delivering the ruling.

“At the time when he was in good books with the Prime Minister, he came across as the son and heart of the PM,” he went on.

Mr Miguna was suspended on August 4, this year for alleged refusal to sign Local Agreement Forms, harassment, intimidation and use of abusive language to colleagues and misrepresentation of the PM’s office.

Upon his suspension, Mr Miguna launched tirade after tirade on Mr Odinga in social media, accusing him of betrayal and dishonesty.

He also spoke out strongly against the PM’s office following revelations of financial improprieties in the Kazi kwa Vijana project under Mr Odinga’s supervision.

His lawyer Nelson Havi argued that Miguna was a public officer in the rank of a PS duly appointed by the President and was entitled to a monthly salary, allowances and benefits.

He said the PSC regulations required that he could only be suspended if convicted of a serious crime or if there were pending proceedings for his dismissal.

He applied for orders quashing the suspension, prohibiting the PS from suspending his salary and allowances and compelling him to pay the money.