Sacked Officer Reinstated After Ombudsman’s Help and Public Protests
A prison officer who had been dismissed from duty over accusations of desertion has now been reinstated to his position, thanks to the intervention of the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), which is also known as the Ombudsman.
This news was confirmed in a public statement released by the commission on April 24.
According to the Ombudsman, the officer, Mr. Edwin Ochengo Nyangau, had reached out to them for help after waiting for months without any response from the Public Service Commission (PSC), where he had appealed his dismissal.
In a heartfelt appreciation letter addressed to the Ombudsman, Mr. Nyangau wrote, “I am happy to inform you that I was reinstated to the service and posted to Homa Bay. Thank you.” The commission included this message in their statement as proof of the successful outcome of their intervention.
Before turning to the Ombudsman, Mr. Nyangau had followed the proper channels and submitted his appeal to the PSC through the office of the Commissioner General of Prisons.
However, despite doing everything by the book, he received no updates on the progress of his case.
In his complaint to the CAJ, he explained, “I have repeatedly visited the PSC to enquire about the status of my appeal, only to be informed that they are yet to receive the appeal letter from the Prisons Department headquarters, a process that has taken over four months.”
He went on to say that the delays were denying him justice and infringing on his constitutional right to fair administrative action.
He pleaded with the commission to either intervene or advise him on how to proceed further with the case.
Upon receiving his complaint, the Commission on Administrative Justice opened an inquiry. They contacted the Commissioner General of Prisons but, like Mr. Nyangau, they also received no response. The commission then sent a first, second, and final reminder, but still, no one replied.
As a result, CAJ issued a formal notice to show cause under Sections 2 and 26, and Regulations 17 and 18 of the CAJ’s governing rules.
This legal step pushed the Commissioner General of Prisons to finally respond.
In their official reply, the prisons department confirmed that Mr. Nyangau had indeed been reinstated and was now serving at the Homa Bay Prisons. The officer in charge of the facility also verified this information.
This is just one of many cases where the Ombudsman has stood up for ordinary Kenyans and helped them fight for their rights.
A few years ago, for example, the commission successfully intervened with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on behalf of citizens seeking access to a court proceeding.
In a separate notice dated April 22, CAJ praised the JSC for acting swiftly and providing the family of a deceased Kenyan with a recording of a court session involving the deceased’s estate.
This quick response allowed the beneficiaries to access justice in a timely manner.
Through such interventions, the Ombudsman continues to prove its commitment to promoting justice, transparency, and accountability in public service, especially for ordinary citizens who feel ignored or mistreated by government institutions.
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