Kenya Railways Managing Director Phillip Mainga appointed Benedict Kiema Kavua to a prominent position following allegations of bribery.
The recruitment process has been criticized as fraudulent and lacking transparency.
Kenya Railway Managing Director Phillip Mainga has once again made headlines by appointing Benedict Kiema Kavua, who is linked to corruption and lacks experience, to a significant role, allegedly in exchange for a bribe.
This decision has disappointed many internal staff members who either chose not to apply due to a lack of faith in the process or were overlooked because they did not meet Mainga’s qualifications and could not afford to pay bribes.
Reports indicate that the board conducted interviews from August 19 to 21, 2024, for various managerial positions, including General Manager of Corporate Services, Business & Commercial, Finance, Procurement, and Legal Services. Sources reveal that the board ultimately selected Benedict Kiema Kavua, the current procurement manager at Nairobi Water and Sewage Company, for the role of General Manager of Procurement.
It is interesting to note that Kiema currently has an active court case with his employer and is bedeviled by corruption investigations.
In the auditor general’s report released last year, Nairobi Water lost over Sh10 billion in the financial year ended June 2022 due to faulty water meters, unreconciled financial statements and allowances paid to its staff.
The auditor general observed that this led to a loss of Sh834 million as projected revenue.
The report also indicates that the water firm lost up to 50 percent of its projected water sales, which is way above the 25 percent of the non-revenue water threshold that is allowed by the Water Services Regulatory Board.
Kiema is buying time to cover up suspected corrupt dealings that he allegedly got into while in office.
City Hall insiders also claim that the besieged manager has been on the radar of investigative agencies including Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
It is also alleged that at the point of shortlisting, Kiema did not have the required licence to practice as required.
Despite this information being in public knowledge, the board turned a blind eye choosing to appoint Kiema.
This happened as two internal managers who have previously served in this position were considered unsuitable despite being experienced, competent and in good standing.
Railway is a specialized sector and it was expected that the board would leverage on the experience of internal staff.
This was a well-orchestrated plan by MD Philip Mainga to eliminate those with organizational memory as he prepares for his exit which is eminent with the looming parastatal shakeups.
The Board also interviewed for the position of General Manager Legal choosing to appoint xxxxxx from the little-known leather sector.
It is not clear how two officers who are extremely experienced in the Corporations legal department never featured in the shortlist.
Is this a plan to wipe away all memory as Mainga exits?
For the position of General Manager Business and Commercial the board recommended the appointment of Stanley Cheruiyot who is currently serving as the principal business development officer.
It is yet another wonder how board ended up shortlisting and ultimately appointing him despite not having any senior managerial experience.
On the onslaught were two senior managers who have served in the capacity of general manager business and possess expansive experience and performance record to deliver in this docket.
Stanley was the only internal staff who was considered for appointment.
This is yet another attempt to completely wipe out any threats in the system as Mainga prepares to exit the stage, succession politics seem to be taking the center stage at the expense of the principal of meritocracy.
“This process was to eliminate all Luhyas who the MD has declared war against, for being forthright and firm in their decisions thereby being considered as a threat to the otherwise corrupt rule of MD Mainga” said an internal source.
