Fight for KIRDI top post threatens operations

By DANN OKOTH

Leadership wrangles at the giant Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) are threatening to derail the Vision 2030 development agenda.

KIRDI is the flagship of the government’s ambitious project aimed at propelling Kenya into a middle-level income country by 2030 through industrialisation and innovation.

But politics and vested interests have infiltrated the institution jeopardising research.

At the centre of the power struggle is who between Deputy Director  Kenneth Chelule and Acting Director Erastus Gatabe would replace the besieged KIRDI Director Charles Moturi whose contracts ends in two years.

At stake also is who would oversee construction of Sh7 laboratories in Nairobi and Kisumu.

Dr Chelule is said to be backed by the URP arm of the government while Prof Gatebe has sympathisers from TNA and enjoys the support of  majority KIRDI board members.

Matters came to a head two weeks ago when a notice announcing that Dr Moturi would proceed on leave appeared on the institutions notice board, even though he was not due for leave. Reliable sources told The Standard on Sunday Moturi’s leave was a ploy to shove him out of the way.

“What was curious about the notice is that it did not indicate for how long the Director would be on leave, leaving many of us to wonder whether he has been interdicted,” said one source.

Another source at the institution who was privy to the KIRDI board deliberations last week said the board reached a unanimous decision that it would be  un-procedural for Dr Moturi to proceed on leave.

The board resolved to petition Industrialisation and Enterprise Development Principle Secretary Wilson Songa to address the matter.

There was near pandemonium at the institution on Tuesday last week when Gatebe called a staff meeting to brief them on the activities at KIRDI.

Drama started when Gatebe castigated the staff over the alleged dirty conditions at the institution.

However, one staff asked him who he was and what he was doing at the institution because his arrival had not been made official.

Gatebe retorted that he was seconded to KIRDI from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to assist with the running of the institution.

But the arrival of Gatebe at the institution from JKUAT is shrouded in mystery. Inside sources say while the two institutions can exchange scientist on regular basis, Gatebe’s arrival and quick rise through the ranks was raising eyebrows.

“The standard practice requires that someone like Gatebe who is a Professor in Chemistry works with the institution for a while before he can head the institution,” said a source.