CS Eugene Wamalwa on spot over fights at parastatal

Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa. (Photo: Moses Omusula)

Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa was Thursday put to task to explain why he reinstated three top officials of a State corporation after they had been suspended.

The MPs also pressed Wamalwa to explain why he went ahead to dissolve the ten-member National Irrigation Board.

General Manager Daniel Barasa alongside two others were suspended in April for six months over alleged financial mismanagement.

A few days later, Wamalwa reinstated Barasa, Ms Mary Chomba who is in charge of finance and strategy and Mr Boaz Akello, the procurement and supplies officer. The move sparked off a stand-off between the minister and the board.

Reinstate trio

However, Wamalwa Thursday told the Public Investment Committee that he followed the law in reinstating the trio.

He said after learning of the suspensions, he sought to find out why the officials had been kicked out of office.

“I asked for the notice convening the meeting and I established it was an ordinary meeting and not a special board meeting as claimed,” Wamalwa said.

“I was shown the agenda of the meeting, and there was no part on disciplinary action touching on the management.”