Pressure piles on CS over contract award contract appointment of director of public health

NAIROBI, KENYA: Health professionals are calling on the ministry of health to honour its human resource committee recommendations over contract appointment of the director of public health.

The Public Health and Environmental Health Professionals claim that Kepha Ombacho has been occupying the office of Director Public Health and discharging official duties without any formal appointment having officially retired on November 29.

This they say is contrary to a recommendation by the ministry’s human resource advisory committee which recommended that temporary contract for Ombacho under local agreement be not implemented until case challenging the decision is heard and determined.

“We, the Public Health and Environmental Health professionals having attended court case no. 110/2017 on retirement of Ombacho remind CS Sicilly Kariuki to implement recommendations of its own Ministerial Human Resource Advisory Committee no.19 of January 30 this year,” said a letter by Kenyan Public and Environmental Health Professionals.

“The human resource meeting had recommended that the temporary contract after retirement recommended by the Public Service Commission, vide PSC letter dated August 23 2017 appointing Ombacho under local agreement terms be not implemented until cases challenging the decision in court are heard and determined,” reads the statement.

They noted that case number 110/2017 on retirement, which came for the first hearing on July 31 this year needs to be concluded before the appointment.

Other cases that touch on procurement also needed to be resolved.

“We are concerned of the appointment despite existence of a circular issued by the head of civil service providing a directive that no civil servant should be granted an extension upon attainment of mandatory retirement age of 60-years.’’