Acting Labour CS Omamo appoints new NSSF board chair

Acting Labour Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo has appointed a new Chairperson of National Social Security Fund (NSSF) board of trustees in changes.

Ms Omamo appointed Kariithi Murage Murimi and replaced Ms Charity Seleina Kisotu who had been appointed to the position in February 2015.

Omamo made the changes in a gazette notice dated September 16.

The changes also saw Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli and Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) chief executive Ms Jacqueline Mugo returned to the board for three years.

Also appointed to the board were Patrick Onyango Ogola and Lyn Cherop Mengich. The two will replace Andrew Gichamba Muigai and Veska Jepkemboi Kangogo.

Suspended labour CS Kzungu Kambi had appointed Muigai and Kangogo to the positions but Cotu successfully challenged the move in court.

Kambi was facing investigations over the irregular appointment of Muigai and Kangogo as members of NSSF board, which led to his suspension.

It is Kambi who also appointed Kisotu as Chairperson NSSF.
Ms Kisotu is also the Chairperson of the board of directors of Kenya Wine Agency Limited, (KWAL)
Before her appointment, Kisotu was a member of Nairobi City County Public Service Board and the chairperson of the Audit and ICT Committee of the board.

Last year in July, the Industrial Court revoked a legal notice published by Kambi removing workers’ and employers’ representatives from the NSSF board of trustees.

Mr Kambi’s decision then drew wide criticism, with Cotu threatening to call a strike unless the decision was reversed.

Teachers and political leaders also criticised the move, describing it as irregular and intended to cover corruption at the pensions fund, which manages more than Sh126 billion of retirement savings for workers in both the private and public sector.