CS Macharia cancels hiring of new KAA boss

NAIROBI: Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) will have to wait longer before filling the most sought after position after the State cancelled the recruitment of a new managing director.

In a statement, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the decision was taken after realising that the process of appointing a replacement for former Managing Director Lucy Mbugua, who was shown the door, had been interfered with.

“It has now come to my attention that the process has been unduly interfered with thus resulting in doubts on the credibility of the anticipated outcome,” said Macharia.

The advertisement to hire a new CEO had been put on mainstream media and various online platforms on November 20, last year. The position has been vacant since the controversy-ridden parastatal parted ways with Ms Mbugua alongside General Manager Finance John Thumbi and the acting airport Engineer, Christopher Warutere, over the airport bus scam.

The three lost their jobs after it was revealed that they helped KAA to flout procurement rules by awarding a tender to Relief and Mission Logistics Limited to provide the service of the five-ramp passenger buses that would have cost KAA close to Sh11 million per month. Macharia has further directed that the process begins afresh and be undertaken by a professional recruiting firm.