KAA succession plot runs into headwinds

• Muhoho unilaterally authorises HR firm to advertise position in local print media

The outgoing managing director of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Mr George Muhoho, seems to have struck a wrong chord with his attempt to impose his successor to take over the lucrative Sh1.5 million a month job at the parastatal.

Workers and clients such as airlines are now threatening to ask MPs to discuss the outgoing MD’s conduct. Already an MP in the influential House committee with oversight of the transport sector is lobbying fellow legislators to focus on the latest developments at KAA.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Dr Boni Khalwale, wants Mr Muhoho to hand over to his substantive deputy, Mr Mathew Wamalwa, and proceed on terminal leave.

“The last time the board sat, it asked Mr Wamalwa to act, but Mr Muhoho was unprocedurally brought back by (Transport minister Chirau) Mwakwere. He should hand over and proceed on leave,” Dr Khalwale said.

The saga of the 72-year-old former Catholic priest and founder member of the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) started on January 27, 2010, after he unilaterally authorised Manpower Services to advertise his position in the local print media.

The Sunday Nation has established that no board meeting took place to ratify the advertisement.

“There was no consultation and no minutes or written instructions to authorise a search for his successor as, currently, the corporation secretary John Tito is out of the country,” a manager at KAA, who cannot be quoted discussing the matter, said.

Neither was a board meeting called to authorise the search for a successor in line with the State Corporations Act.

The Permanent Secretary for Transport, Dr Cyrus Njiru, confirmed that the board had not met to approve the advert and that the parastatal had sought authority from the government to advertise the position.

“Not every member of the board was consulted,” said the PS when reached by phone, insisting that the process of easing out Mr Muhoho was irreversible.

Also, the HR firm authorised to place the advert has not yet signed a contract to render services to KAA. Under the public procurement rules, the contract is illegal and amounts to single-sourcing, meaning Mr Muhoho can be surcharged for misuse of public funds.

But, in a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Nation, the outgoing MD, while not denying he had a succession plan in place, said he was not lobbying for the current GM Planning and Engineering Services Stephen Gichuki to succeed him.

“In any case, what good manager would not have a succession plan?” Mr Muhoho retorted when asked whether he was grooming Mr Gichuki to take over at KAA. Mr Gichuki is currently out of the country on official duty.

The MD also said it was his decision to leave the corporation after a controversial one-year extension that saw his deputy elevated to an acting capacity last year only to be demoted 24 hours later.

“My contract ends on April 3, and I have only eight days leave,” Mr Muhoho said while ruling out handing over pending the selection of a new MD.