Parastatal boards yet to appoint acting chief executives

GDC chief executive Silas Simiyu on Monday stepped aside to make way for investigations of corruption allegations against him. PHOTO | FILE 

By NEVILLE OTUKI, notuki@ke.nationmedia.com

State corporations, whose chief executives were suspended in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s corruption purge, remained rudderless after only one announced a replacement for the top jobs by Monday evening.

Geothermal Development Company (GDC) chief executive Silas Simiyu became the first parastatal head to officially step aside to pave the way for investigations.

The company’s board subsequently appointed Godwin Mwawongo, previously GDC’s technical services manager, as the acting CEO. Faisal Abbas, who chairs the GDC board, said in a statement that Dr Simiyu had agreed to step aside.

“Godwin Mwawongo, a reservoir engineer, is an accomplished geothermal expert with 20 years’ experience in the energy sector,” said Mr Abbas. Boards of eight other agencies that Mr Kenyatta had directed to name acting CEOs were yet to do so by Monday evening.

These include Agricultural Finance Corporation, Nzoia Sugar Company, NSSF, National Water Conservation and Kenya Pipeline Corporation. Others are Kenya Airports Authority, Tourism Fund/Catering Levy Trustee and Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade).

At GDC, the EACC is investigating alleged irregularities in the award of tenders worth more than Sh10 billion, including procurement of drilling rigs, staff mismanagement and financial improprieties.

The board of Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), whose managing director Lucy Mbugua is yet to officially step aside, has yet to settle for an acting MD.

“We are yet to meet and make a decision. We (board members) were all away when the President issued the directive,” KAA chairman David Kimaiyo said on Monday.

Uncertainty, however, surrounds KenTrade which has not had a board since expiry of the previous one’s term in June, presenting a challenge in naming an acting official to stand in for the chief executive Alex Kabuga, who is expected to relinquish office.

“We have not had a board since June 30,” KenTrade former chairman Joseph Kibwana told the Business Daily.

Gen (Rtd) Kibwana said the lack of a board had left confusion in the naming of an acting CEO “Since KenTrade falls under the National Treasury, I expect them to handle the matter,” he said.

READ: Auditor-General alarmed over empty boards

It is not yet clear what allegations the KenTrade CEO is facing. The state corporations’ heads are among 175 senior public officials named in the list of corruption that is expected to be made public and debated in parliament on Tuesday.

KenTrade is the custodian of electronic single window system, which allows submission, receipting and processing of cargo documents electronically at a single entry point to speed up import and export trade.

The portal hosts multiple government agencies involved in clearing cargo and issuing import and export documents including Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).