Kenya's High Court strikes down Ruto's public debt audit task force

Kenya's High Court struck down President William Ruto's Presidential Task Force on a forensic audit of public debt, ruling Thursday that the body was unconstitutional because it encroached on the mandate of an independent constitutional office. The decision marks a significant legal setback for one of Ruto's flagship transparency initiatives.

The task force had been created to scrutinize the accumulation of Kenya's public debt, a politically sensitive issue that has fueled public anger over the country's borrowing levels in recent years. Judges found the mandate duplicated powers already assigned by the constitution to an independent oversight office.

The ruling adds to a string of legal setbacks for Ruto's government this year and is likely to reopen debate over how Kenya's debt levels are audited and by whom. The presidency has not yet said whether it will appeal the decision.