74 public servants suspended for alleged misconduct

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei. [File, Standard]

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has suspended some 74 holders of public office facing misconduct allegations.

They include six state agencies Chief Executive Officers, 67 police officers and an accountant at Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).

This is according to a statement released by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed on Thursday, November 16 evening.

The move has been attributed to alleged misconduct and corruption, pending investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

“The directives follow recommendations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for the suspension of the officers, who are currently under investigation,” Hussein’s statement reads in part.

“In issuing the directives, the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service emphasises that the Government remains firm in its commitment to eradicating corruption which, he maintains, undermines its development agenda,”

The EACC wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, Hon. Zachariah Njeru, recommending the suspension of Eng. Fredrick Mwamati, the Chief Executive Officer of the Tanathi Water Works Development Agency.

He is under investigation for procurement irregularities in the award of a tender for the construction of a Leather Industrial Park Water Supply Project.

The anti-graft body has also written to the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Florence Bore, to suspend Stephen Ogenga, the Director-General of the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), for alleged procurement irregularities in the award of a tender for supplies at NITA.

Similarly, the commission also asked the Board of the National Museums of Kenya to suspend Stanvas Ong'alo, the Acting Director-General, for alleged embezzlement of Sh490 million through irregular payments.

In another letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, Moses Kuria, the EACC recommended the suspension of Benjamin Kai Chilumo, the CEO of Huduma Centre Secretariat.

He is under investigation for corruption allegations when he served in the County Government of Kilifi as the Chief Finance Officer.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has also written to the Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, Aisha Jumwa, recommending the suspension of Peter Gitaa Koria, the CEO of Bomas of Kenya, for allegations of procurement irregularities in supplies for the institution.

Additionally, the EACC has called for the suspension of Eng. Anthony Wamukota, the General Manager of Design & Construction at Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO), for alleged procurement irregularities related to the construction contract of the 400KV Loiyangalani Power Project.

The commission has also written to the Director-General of KeRRA, Engineer Philemon Kandie, to suspend Esther Wanjiru Chege, an accountant at the institution, for alleged conflict of interest and possession of unexplained wealth.

Furthermore, the EACC has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Japhet Koome, to suspend 67 police officers implicated in corruption-related malpractices.