Mwatela rejects PS appointment

Former Central Bank Deputy Governor Jacinta Mwatela has turned down a Government appointment.

She was transferred to the newly-created Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid areas to serve as Permanent Secretary on Monday last week.

She said she is due to retire in four months and there was no need for her to take up the appointment.

In an interview with the Nation, Mrs Mwatela questioned why the Government deemed it fit to transfer her from CBK when she was just about to retire. Mrs Mwatela will be 55 in December, the official public servants retirement age.

“It would be a disservice for me to take up a job as an accounting officer in the new ministry and retire just after four months,” she added.

“As a human being I think I do have the right to say thanks but I don’t think I can handle that job.”

She further said issues surrounding her removal from the CBK and the manner in which it was done indicated that she was not wanted by those in authority and therefore it was useless for her to take the new job.

At the same time, the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) will launch investigations into the controversial De La Rue tender to ascertain whether it is linked to the transfer of former Central Bank Deputy Governor Jacinta Mwatela.

Committee Chairman Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale said they will summon, among others, Finance Permanent Secretary Joseph Kinyua, Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndungu, and other relevant senior officers.

However, Mr Khalwale said that the witnesses will not be limited to just the above.

“We have notified the Speaker of the National Assembly and the clerk of the intended probe”.

Addressing journalists at Parliament buildings, Khalwale said Mrs Mwatela had indicated herself that her transfer could be as a result of her exposing some of the deals in the Central Bank.

And the Committee was quick to call for the provision of witness protection for Mrs Mwatela, saying that she had a lot of information.

“Going by the investigations that we are launching, and the amount of money involved, we are calling upon the government to give Mrs Mwatela witness protection as provided for in the recently passed Witness Protection Act since she has a lot of information about the rot in CBK,” said Imenti South MP Mithika Linturi.

Mr Khalwale said that the Public Procurement Act had been abused since 1993, in respect of the tender awarded to De La Rue to print current generation currency notes.

He said that an attempt by the former Finance minister David Mwiraria with the blessing of Cabinet and Parliament to reverse it in 2003 so that it could be subjected to international tendering was reversed by his successor Amos Kimunya.

Mr Khalwale said the Attorney General does not have the final say on whether or not Mrs Mwatela enjoyed security of tenure, and that the High Court is the only institution that can give the final verdict.

Bonchari MP Charles Onyancha accused the AG of regularly misleading the government even on sensitive matters.

On Monday, the AG Mr Amos Wako said the CBK Deputy Governor does not enjoy security of tenure under the constitution.