Two civil servants face jail terms for defying Ombudsman

NAIROBI: Two civil servants now face jail term or a fine if they are found of guilty of being unresponsive public officers by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ).

The CAJ, commonly referred to as Ombudsman Monday summoned the head teacher of Kibos School for the Blind Meshack Too and Thika District Lands Registrar Felix Nyakundi to answer to charges of failing to perform their responsivities.

Mr Too is accused of failing to pay a former employee of the institution Philip Oloo Nyangweso Sh362, 440 as workman compensation for injuries he sustained while working for the institution.

On Monday, CAJ Director of Legal Affairs Yuvinalis Angima said the head teacher had misled the commission on several occasion that he was awaiting funds from the ministry of education to offset the bill.

Nyangueso had been awarded the amount under the Work Injury Benefits Act by the Kisumu Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Officer on 22nd June 2009, who assessed his injuries that emanated from an accident when he fell from a ladder and fractured his leg, occasioning partial impairment.

"About a year ago, we were told the school was waiting for money from the ministry and later the same head teacher wrote to us saying the complaint had been withdrawn by the victim and a new payment of sh25, 000 had been agreed upon which we found suspicious. It later turned out to be a lie hence the summons," Angima said.

On the other hand, Mr Nyakundi is accused of failing to transfer a parcel of land in Thika to the administrator of the estate of the late Nderitu Muchonu. His case had been referred to CAJ by the late Muchonu's son Peter Gikonyo Nderitu in September 2013.

"In spite of Gikonyo's request and the inquiry from this commission there was no response from this officer prompting the commission to issue summons," Angima said.

The commission said it had summoned the two officers to give their side of the story and failure by them to give a convincing explanations for the actions/inaction may land them in jail.