State House Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has moved to end a vicious boardroom battle pitting Water Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome against other senior government officials.
After weeks of high-voltage exchanges between Wahome, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission – EACC and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Koskei pulled the plug on Friday, September 22.
In a press statement sent to newsrooms, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said Koskei had given the greenlight for the suspension of Athi Water Works Development Agency Chief Executive Officer Eng. Michael Thuita.
“The Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service Mr. Felix Koskei has asked the Board of the Athi Water Works Development Agency to suspend its Chief Executive Officer Eng. Michael Thuita pending investigations into alleged irregularities in the award of tender for construction of Ruiru II, Karimenu and Kitui Matuu water projects undertaken by the agency.
The suspension axe also fell on Eng. Samuel Oruma, the CEO of Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency over graft claims.
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“Mr Koskei has also asked the Board of Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency to suspend its Chief Executive Officer Eng. Samuel Oruma pending investigations into alleged procurement irregularities in the implementation of the Water Supply and Sanitation System for Bomet/Longisa/Mulot towns project within the jurisdiction of the agency,” the statement from Hussein further stated.
Supremacy Battle
According to Koskei, a career civil servant and a former Cabinet Secretary in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, Thuita and Oruma were in office despite grave graft allegations against them.
State House dispatch read, “The Head of Public Service in letters to the chairmen of the two boards says the two CEOs are in office, notwithstanding the gravity of allegations and the quantum of resources under inquiry.”
In addition, Koskei is concerned that the Ministry of Water, which is under Alice Wahome is undermining President William Ruto’s administration’s resolve to fight corruption.
“Mr Koskei says the inordinate delay in taking action on the part of the board of directors and the ministry is undermining the government’s war against corruption.”
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The move by Koseki is now lifting the lid on what appears to be a ferocious supremacy battle in the Ministry of Water if recent correspondences between EACC Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak and Maji House are anything to go by.
“The CEO, being the accounting officer of the agency, was involved in the implementation of these three projects.
Therefore, there is a likelihood that his being in office will interfere with the smooth provision of documents and persons who may be called upon as witnesses,” Mbarak told the CS in a letter dated May 24.
While the anti-graft body recommended the suspension of Thuita to pave way for investigations, CS Alice Wahome could hear none of it. The minister argued that the embattled CEO was entitled to fair hearing, according to the 2010 Constitution.
“To enable me to consider the recommended action of suspension, kindly let me have the letter of complaint or the complaint file,” Wahome said.
PS Rono Vs Alice Wahome
However, the back and forth between EACC and the ministry of water prompted the PS State Department of Water and Sanitation Dr. Kipronoh Rotich to write to Wahome on September 12, 2023, urging the minister to honour Mbarak’s recommendations.
“The Allegations border on corruption malpractices and request by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission EACC on the Chief Executive Officer to step aside to allow investigations to be conducted calls for cooperation and facilitation from the Ministry Leadership,” wrote the PS on August 25.
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The PS further reminded the PS that the recommendation to suspend Thuita was in line with the President’s position on corruption.
“Following directives by his Excellency the President William Ruto, on zero tolerance on corruption I wish to request that your office consider appointing a new person on acting capacity,” Kipronoh further pleaded with CS Alice Wahome in a letter copied to Koskei and EACC boss.
On the other hand, this did not sit well with the minister, who felt it amounted to insubordination.
“You have become part of governance and Leadership challenges at the agency, you should cease persistent harassment of senior officers in the Ministry,” Wahome wrote.
With Koskei’s recommendations to the boards of Athi Water Works Development Agency and Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency to suspend their CEOs, it remains to been if this will end the boardroom wars at Maji House or if it is just but a tip of the iceberg.
