Dr Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy.
Dr Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy, President William Ruto’s nominee for Chairperson of the National Land Commission (NLC), was once rejected by a committee of Parliament to serve as a member of a constitutional commission over suitability issues.
The decision was later overturned by a full House.
Records in Parliament show that Dr Alawy was nominated in February 2014 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, alongside Dr Florence Wachira, for appointment as member of the National Gender Equality Commission (NGEC).
In its report tabled in the National Assembly on February 26, 2014, the Labour and Social Welfare Committee, chaired by then Matungu MP David Were, approved Dr Wachira for appointment but rejected Dr Alawy’s nomination. He cited his dual citizenship and that “he was out of touch with gender and equality challenges.”
“The committee found Dr Alawy unsuitable for appointment as a member of the National Gender and Equality Commission,” the team recommended to the House at the time.
Dr Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy.
However, the committee’s recommendation was shot down, paving the way for Dr Alawy to be appointed and serve as NGEC member for a six-year non-renewable term.
Ms Tiya Galgalo, who was the Vice Chairperson of the Labour and Social Welfare Committee that rejected Dr Alawy’s nomination for NGEC membership, is currently an NLC commissioner serving her last year in office.
In the letter transmitting the two nominees to the National Assembly for vetting, Mr Kenyatta only referred to Dr Alawy by his two names: Dr Abdillahi Alawy. But President Ruto’s letter to the National Assembly refers to Dr Alawy’s three names: Dr Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy, which is also reflected in his ID and immigration declaration form, among other official documents.
'Out of touch' with gender and equality challenges
The report of the Labour and Social Welfare Committee said Dr Alawy was out of touch with Kenya’s gender and equality challenges “to an extent that he could not identify even one minority group in Kenya.”
“He failed to convince the committee that he had the exposure and expertise to handle gender and equality issues in Kenya, perhaps the reason he was ranked sixth by the Public Service Commission,” the committee's report says.
The committee had also observed that Dr Alawy lost his Kenyan citizenship when he became an American citizen in 2005, at a time the old Constitution did not provide for dual citizenship.
On request by the committee to prove resumption of his Kenyan citizenship, he indicated that given time, he could present the relevant documents and requested to be allowed to present the same thereafter.
“The committee granted him the chance, and he subsequently presented a declaration made by a dual citizen in line with section 8 (3) of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act of 2011, signed on February 21, 2014, a day after the vetting,” the report reads.
However, the committee observed that the papers presented were “irrelevant to his case".
“He was unable to prove that due diligence was followed in regaining his citizenship as required by the Constitution,” the report reads.
Other nominees
Dr Alawy was nominated for the NLC job Tuesday alongside Susan Oyatsi, who acted for close to 10 years as director of finance at the Judiciary, Daniel Muriungi, Kigen Cheruiyot, and Dr Julie Oseko. Other nominees are former MPs Mohamed Haji (Banissa) and Mary Yiane Seneta (Nominated Senator).
Former National Land Commission Chairman Gershom Otachi, who left office in November last year. Abdillahi Saggaf has been nominated to take over the position.
If approved and appointed, they will serve for a nonrenewable term of six years, replacing Mr Gershom Otachi (Chairperson) and six other members whose term expired on November 14, 2025.
They will be joining two other serving members of the commission, Esther Murugi and Tiya Galgalo, whose six-year terms end on December 20, 2026.
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