Hope for KR pensioners as new board is unveiled

By FRANCIS MUREITHI fmureithi@ke.nationmedia.com

A new board to run the Kenya Railways Staff Retirement Benefit Scheme has been unveiled, one month after retirees demanded the sacking of directors linked to mismanagement.

The appointment of five members to the board comes in the wake of an audit report by the Retirement Benefit Authority (RBA) which revealed how the outgoing board of trustees had mismanaged billions of shillings belonging to more than 9,000 retired Kenya Railways workers.

The scheme which is one of the wealthiest in the country in terms of land assets is worth in excess of Sh20 billion.

General (rtd) Jeremiah Kianga, who is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Railways Corporation, unveiled the new team early last month in Nairobi during a meeting held at the KRC boardroom in Nairobi.

The new board members are Mr Arthur Runyejes, Mr Johnson Mwinzi, Ms Rhoda Muriungi, Captain (rtd) Ahmed Munir Abile and Mrs Josephine Masibo who is a senior manager at Human Resource Department in the corporation.

An insider in the meeting told the Sunday Nation that one nominee declined to take over the new duties.

Pensioners will elect their nominee at the Kenya Railways Training Institute in Nairobi on April 27 to join the board.

Two other board members will come from Rift Valley Railways and the board of Kenya Railways Corporation.

The function to unveil the new board was attended by representatives from Kenya Railways Pensioners Association, the Association of Kenya Railways Retirement Association, former senior officials of Kenya Railways and women representatives .

During the meeting, General (rtd) Kianga reportedly told the pensioners that the new team was committed to ensure they will never suffer again.

“He assured us that the new team will bring in professionalism and that if we feel there is anything wrong going on at the scheme, his doors were wide opened,” said Mr Robert Azaria, the secretary general of Kenya Railways Pensioners Association who attended the meeting.

The previous nine-member board which was sent packing was chaired by Ms Beryl Odinga. Other board members were Kenya Railways Chief Executive Nduva Muli, Dr Mtana Lewa, Mr Ken Wahome, Mr Silas Gitari, Mr Lazarus Keizi, Mr Moses Njeka, Ms Priscilla Mukuria and Mr Daniel Obop.

The previous board was accused of massive irregularities including selling some properties. It had also failed to settle pension arrears dating back to 2005.