07/11/2013 Former Naivasha MP John Mututho's appointment as the chairman of the National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) was yesterday revoked.
Mututho’s appointment was revoked by President Uhuru Kenyatta through a Kenya Gazzette notice of October 24, 2013. There are no reasons given for the revocation, but Mr Mututho said he had resigned voluntarily in order to be vetted by Parliament. He had been appointed in September.
A section of MPs and the civil society had opposed Mr Mututho’s appointment, saying it was not constitutional.
“I have submitted myself voluntarily to this process in order to remove any doubts about my suitability to hold this office,” said Mr Mututho.
The former MP referred us to Mr Mutea Iringo, the Interior Principal Secretary, for further comment. However, Mr Iringo said he had not seen the gazzette notice and promised to call back with a comment. He had not done so by the time of going to press.
Soon after coming into office, Mr Mututho waded straight into a debate on whether miraa should be banned or not. He surprised many when he said that miraa is not a drug as Nacada has long maintained, a statement which seems to have rubbed some at the Authority the wrong way.
“His statement meant undoing years of work that we have been doing towards fighting drug abuse,” said a senior source at Nacada who did not wish to be named. “We felt that his remarks about miraa were rash,” he said.