Pressure Mounts, CS Alice Wahome Fires Government Employee
Water CS Alice Wahome has revoked the appointment of an Athi Water Works Development Agency board member days after she was accused of failing to take action.
In a Gazette Notice dated Friday, August 18, the CS revoked the appointment of David Kipkorir Kemboi and appointed Boaz Cheluget and Johnstone Kangethe Kinyua to serve on the board for a period of three years.
In a lawsuit that GosipA2Z.Com obtained last Wednesday, Caroline Wambui Mwangi, the petitioner, argued that Wahome defied a directive from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to suspend an official from the Water Agency.
However, the reasons for firing Kemboi were not clear, and it was yet to be ascertained whether her action was directly linked to the ongoing investigations.
The complainant, according to the court papers, claimed that the CS had “conscripted persons not envisioned by Water Act” into the Board thereby “undermining good corporate governance.”
Mwangi also revealed that the EACC letter lifted a lid on an official at the agency who had continued to serve two months more than the 6-year period prescribed for the holder of the office.
“Strangely, and for what can only be deemed to be vested interests, the 4th respondent (Wahome) refused to act on the lawful recommendation of EACC,” read the petition in part.
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“The refusal by the 4th respondent to resolutely act on the recommendations of the EACC points to a conspiracy to shield the 1st respondent from accountability and prescribed legal requirements for ulterior reasons.”
The petitioner, therefore, sought to have the official ‘permanently restrained’ from exercising the mandate, powers, or discharging any duties or functions conferred upon or reserved for the office they hold.
EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak had written a letter to Wahome asking her to suspend the high-ranking official, citing an ongoing tender probe.
The anti-corruption agency claimed that it was investigating a poorly awarded tender for the construction of Ruiru-II, Karimenu, and Kitui Matuu Water Projects.
“The (official), being the accounting officer of the agency was involved in the implementation of these three projects,” read the letter at the time.
“Therefore, there is a likelihood that his being in the office will interfere with the smooth provision of documents and persons who may be called upon as witnesses.”
Pressure Mounts, CS Alice Wahome Fires Government Employee