PS Irungu reinstates Coast Water Board CEO

Water Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu has rescinded a decision by regional water agency's board suspending its chief executive officer.

At the same time, the PS has suspended all sittings of Coast Water Service Board (CWSB) until a new team is constituted.

He accused the board of overstepping its mandate in suspending Chief Executive Officer Jacob Torutt.

In a letter signed on his behalf by the ministry’s Secretary Administration Joseph Keter, the PS said the board usurped the powers of the Cabinet secretary to dismiss the CEO on flimsy grounds.

"There were no weighty matters to warrant convening of board meeting as allegations levelled against the Chief Executive Officer had not been properly adjudicated," he said.

He added: "The chief executive officer of Coast Water Services Board will continue performing his duties as stipulated by the appointing authority."

He said the board was not properly constituted and that Mrs Sureya Roble Hersi, who acted as the chair of board's session, had no powers to perform the functions of a substantive chair.

Last week, acting board's chair asked Torutt to step aside, accusing him of snubbing members of Parliamentary Committee on Water and Environment on November 9.

It is not clear why Mrs Hersi opted to discipline the CEO for allegedly not meeting MPs, given that Parliament has its own mechanism of enforcing summons against any government official called to appear before its committees.

In a letter, Hersi had instructed Turutt to hand over to Technical Services Manager Martin Tsuma.

She accused the CEO of neglecting to implement board's resolutions and working for only two days a week and always away without valid reasons.

The letter did not, however, state which resolutions had not been implemented but Hersi said the CEO’s action could warrant summary dismissal. 

“The MPs had booked an appointment with you earlier and you had acknowledged and accepted that this particular meeting be held on November 9, 2018. To the disappointment of the honourable MPs, you chose to fly home without meeting them,” Hersi said in the letter.

The board gave the CEO 14 days to explain why he should not be disciplined.

Yesterday, the PS said the CEO will remain in office as the board had neither notified the CS nor even proved that Torutt had erred.

Thorough Investigations

He said the role of the board was to initiate thorough investigations, deliberate on the issues raised, make resolutions and forward to the Cabinet secretary for further necessary action.

The PS said the allegations levelled against the CEO had not been properly adjudicated.

“In view of the above, the ministry will not sanction any more board meetings until a new board is constituted under the Water Works Development Agency,” said the PS.

Mr Torutt was appointed CEO about two years amid protests from local politicians, workers and civil society groups, which favoured acting CEO Joseph Omwange.

His appointment was contested in court for several months before Torutt settled in office.