Nairobi Hospital has disowned the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) President, Shammah Kiteme, days after his appointment to the Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt.
President William Ruto appointed Kiteme to the taskforce in a Gazette notice dated July 5, tasked with the duty of providing Kenyans with clarity on the extent and nature of public debt.
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In a notice on July 9, Nairobi Hospital stated that Kiteme is no longer their employee and is not authorized to conduct business on behalf of the hospital.
“This is to inform all our stakeholders including KHA members and the general public that the above-named person ceased to be an employee of Kenya Hospital Association (KHA) trading as The Nairobi Hospital with effect from 30th June 2024 and is therefore not authorized to transact any business in the name of or on behalf of KHA or The Nairobi Hospital,” reads the notice in part.
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“KHA and the Hospital shall neither take any responsibility for any transaction undertaken by him, his agents and/or servants nor assume any liability accruing therefrom.”
Why Kiteme was Disowned
The hospital warned Kenyans dealing with Kiteme, his agents and/or servants as an apparent representative of KHA or the Hospital shall do so at their own risk.
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Also Read: Blow to Ruto as High Court Rules on Public Debt Taskforce
“We notify our stakeholders including KHA members and the general public to act with diligence and disregard any communication, notice or representation or KHA representative impersonation made by the above-named person, his agents and/or servants on behalf of or in relation to KHA or the Nairobi Hospital,” the notice further read.
The hospital also mentioned that Victor Opiyo Miseda ceased to be an employee of Nairobi Hospital with effect from 12th June 2024.
Opiyo is the current financial Director at TrippleOKlaw LLP and has been serving as the Board member at the Nairobi Hospital since 2019.
Furthermore, the hospital said there is a syndicate of individuals holding themselves out as officers of the KHA claiming to be operating from some hospitality establishments in Nairobi, and other locations purporting them to be KHA offices.
“This syndicate has registered telephone numbers 0707 55***, 0799***890, 0725 91***1, 0726148***5 and 0751 194*** and email address: khamembers202**@gmail.com purporting them to be KHA contacts,” the notice noted.
“KHA wishes to disassociate itself from this syndicate of individuals and their unlawful solicitation of KHA members personal data.”
Also Read: LSK Rejects Faith Odhiambo Appointment to Debt Taskforce, Gives Reason
Shammah Kiteme Appointed to the Presidential Taskforce
According to the Gazette Notice, the taskforce was to be chaired by Nancy Onyango who will be deputized by Prof. Luis Franceschi as the Vice-Chairperson.
Other members of the taskforce include the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Faith Odhiambo, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) Chairperson Philip Kaikai and Vincent Kimosop.
However, Kiteme’s appointment to the Presidential taskforce was met with criticism by Kenyans, with many questionings how an engineer could qualify to be part of the public debt audit team, terming it unconstitutional.
Additionally, others were concerned about how quickly IEK congratulated Kiteme, knowing that auditing public debt is constitutionally mandated to the Auditor General.
“Congratulations on what? What is the work of the auditor general as prescribed under article 229(4)(g) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010? This is shameful to the engineering fraternity. It’s an abuse from the president, he seems to know that Kenyan engineers have no professional ethics and morals,” an X user Senior Jeneral said.
Some individuals went further to compare how the LSK responded after the appointment its President Faith Odhiambo and urged IEK to decline Kiteme’s appointment as well.
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