Airports directors defy MPs on job

The Kenya Airports Authority board was on Wednesday on a collision course with Parliament after it defied MPs’ recommendation to halt the hiring of new managing director.

Board chairman Martin Nyaga Wambora told a press conference at the corporation’s headquarters that due process was followed to forward three names to the minister for Transport for gazettement. He claimed the process had received the approval of both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Mr Wambora also claimed the process was witnessed by a representative of the Inspector General State Corporations who was satisfied with it. The chairman’s claims came a day after Parliament demanded that the process in which three names were forwarded to the minister for transport was flawed and should be repeated.

The three names include that of the general manager for engineering and projects at KAA, Mr Stephen Gichuki, who is said to have scored 91 per cent during the interview. “The board further wishes to inform the general public that it has concluded its role in the recruitment process of the position of MD in a fair and transparent manner,” the chairman stated.

He said the board was awaiting the naming of the new managing director by President Kibaki by Friday since there is no substantive minister for transport. Mr Wambora said the outgoing MD, Mr George Muhoho, would start his terminal leave on Monday pending retirement on April 2, 2010.

But the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Mr David Were, cautioned Mr Wambora against defying Parliament.

Table findings

“As a former MP, Wambora is better placed to advise members of his committee against defying Parliament,” Mr Were said. The Matungu MP said he would table the findings of his committee in Parliament for deliberations next week.

The move by the KAA board is reminiscent of the standoff between Parliament and the former director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission Justice Aaron Ringera last year. Mr Justice Ringera was forced to resign after Parliament rejected his re-appointment by President Kibaki.