Kenya's PSC denies hiring anchor in gripping murder trial

BBC | The agency in charge of public appointments in Kenya has denied reports that it hired a popular former TV anchor who was recently acquitted of murder.

Public Service Minister Moses Kuria had last weekend told the Nation news website that the Public Service Commission (PSC) appointed ex-TV anchor Jacque Maribe as the head of communications in his ministry.

The announcement prompted widespread criticism on social media as questions were raised about whether Ms Maribe's appointment followed the appropriate hiring process.

The PSC on Thursday denied Mr Kuria's claim, saying that it has not appointed Ms Maribe or received a request to employ her.

"For the record, the said position will be filled through a competitive process should a vacancy arise," PSC chairperson Anthony Muchiri said in the statement shared on social media.

Ms Maribe was last month cleared of murdering businesswoman Monica Kimani after a six-year trial that gripped Kenyans.

She and her former fiancé Joseph Irungu, also known as "Jowie", had been charged in the murder of the businesswoman, who was found with her throat slit at her apartment in Nairobi in 2018.

Irungu was sentenced to death on Wednesday after the court found him guilty of the murder.