Four Cabinet Secretaries are staring at possible contempt of court proceedings for allegedly defying a High Court order halting the collection of a KES 50 “convenience fee” on the e-Citizen platform.
Nakuru-based surgeon Dr. Magare-Gikenyi has petitioned the High Court to have Treasury CS John Mbadi, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, ICT CS William Kabogo, and Education CS Julius Ogamba punished for ignoring the April 1 ruling by Justice Chacha Mwita. He also wants KRA Commissioner-General Humphrey Wattanga and Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor cited for the same offence.
Justice Mwita’s judgment had declared the levy — KES 50 for Kenyans and USD 1 for foreigners, unless waived by the Treasury — illegal, unconstitutional, and a form of double taxation. The court also quashed a directive requiring all school fees and public-school levies to be paid exclusively via e-Citizen, terming it irrational and lacking transparency on the use of funds.
Dr. Gikenyi accuses the officials of deliberately continuing to impose the fee, warning that such defiance undermines the rule of law. He stresses that the judgment remains valid, as it has not been overturned by a higher court.
In his decision, Justice Mwita held that no one should be compelled to use a system they did not request or be forced to maintain it through extra charges. He barred the Treasury, ICT, and Education ministries from making e-Citizen the sole channel for school-fees payments.
The petition has reignited debate on government accountability, with critics warning that open defiance of court orders erodes judicial authority and weakens public trust in governance.
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