Former Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) boss Eva Oduor. Photo/FILE
In Summary
Since the Jubilee government took power, five holders of top State assignments have been sent home
There is need to revise the State Corporations Act to reduce
government interference, say experts
By MUTHOKI MUMO
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Heading a parastatal in Kenya is turning out to be the most dangerous career move in the country, as each successive government seem hell-bent on replacing all state agencies’ chief executives.
On Thursday, two state corporation bosses found this out as the government’s ongoing purge of the top brass in the public sector continues. Within hours of each other, Mr Stephen Gichuki and Ms Eva Oduor were sent home from the helms of Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) respectively.
Ms Oduor’s dismissal comes after questions were raised about the procedures followed in budgeting for and awarding a Sh1.3 billion tender for the construction of KEBS laboratory in Mombasa.
“This follows a resolution by the National Standards Council to Cabinet Secretary (Adan) Mohamed recommending the immediate suspension of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) managing director Eva Oduor on gross misconduct claims arising from the recently annulled Mombasa Laboratory project,” read a notice from the Ministry of Industrialisation.
Ms Oduor’s three-year term was expected to expire next year and she was the third person to head KEBS in as many years. Her two predecessors, Mr Joseph Kipketer Kosgey and Mr Kioko Mang’eli also left the post amid controversy.
Mr Gichuki, who has been send on terminal leave pending retirement, had been put on notice by Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau over inefficiency at the airport earlier this year.
The other shoe presumably dropped during successive debacles that included the demolition of duty free shops and culminated in a fire that paralysed operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) last week.
However, the decision to send Mr Gichuki on terminal leave before his contract expired in October still raised questions given that the KAA board had earlier backed Mr Gichuki despite claims from the ministry of Transport that he did not qualify for another term.
This now brings to five the number of parastatal heads who have been pushed out of their posts since the Jubilee government took power creating the impression that these positions are currently the shakiest in the public sector.
Mr Tom Odongo was sacked from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) last month in unclear circumstances. During court proceedings, it emerged that Mr Odongo was dismissed partly for being too open with the media on the Fund’s investment plans.
Undated but signed
Mr Isaak Haji was axed from the helm of the Kenya Meat Commission facing a charge sheet that included mismanagement before he managed to reverse the order in court. Mr Selest Kilinda was send home from being managing director of the Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) over charges of nepotism.
Other parastatal heads have also been put on notice. Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has threatened to dismantle the management of all bodies under his docket. In Transport, Mr Kamau is said to have written an undated but signed letter of dismissal to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director, Mr Gichiri Ndua.
With the high turnover, these posts are shaping up to be perhaps the most dangerous to hold. Parastatal bosses will now be at pains to tow President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government line lest they face the axe next.
At the Mombasa port, Mr Ndua, in particular, is under pressure to cut the time it takes cargo to travel from the harbour to Malaba from the average 11 days to five days. Mr Ndua has also been put in charge of all government authorities operating at the port.
Most of the parastatals that have come under scrutiny from the new government and have see their bosses leave have a poor track record.
“Parastals have been plagued by governance issues and corruption that has led to lower productivity and to the loss of taxpayer money,” said economist Eric Mutua.
The government has also set up a 10-member committee under the Executive that will be tasked with proposing policy reforms to overhaul local parastatals. Experts say that there is a need to review the State Corporation Act and to reduce government interference in the parastatals.
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