KBC staff reveal woes to House team

Arbitrary appointments, corrupt procurement procedures, sexual harassment and inadequate equipment at Kenya’s state broadcaster are some of the reasons that saw employees go on strike.

Presenting their petition to a parliamentary committee on information and communication on Wednesday, staff said the malpractices affected revenue flow at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation translating to low pay.

“The money we make disappears and that is why we are always crying for lack of money,” Mary Daraja a producer at KBC told the committee chaired by James Rege (Karachuonyo, ODM).

They also accused members of KBC's board of blatant conflict of interest since one of them also sits in the board of Radio Africa - a competitor media house and another owns a company - Broadcast Solutions International - which provides services to KBC through what they termed skewed tendering.

The company had been prequalified to supply KBC with equipment for the period 2011-2013.

According to Ms Daraja, KBC lost rights to televise the 2010 World Cup after it “irregularly the lost rights to Radio Africa” and named a Mr Githuku who sits in the boards of both companies.

The House team heard that Robert Wekesa the procurement manager had “a long and close relationship” with an individual who owns four companies which supplied the company with broadcast equipment.

They called for a probe to be carried out with focus on York Investment Limited, Grand Photolab EA Limited, Royal Business Technologies and Leon Insurance Company owned by a Mr Mwangi.

“KBC’s receipt and inspection committee has not been operational for the last two years, for reasons unknown to us,” KBC employee Kennedy Epalat told the committee in an effort to explain how the irregularities went unnoticed.

Mr Epalat also accused Kenya Auto Electrical Limited, which he said also followed irregular procurement channels.

They said assistant manager in technical services Tom Buluku should be investigated for serving his own interests in installing a transmitter for a certain station.

Radio Programmes controller Walter Mong’are was also accused for running down a KBC radio station Metro FM and of highhandedness.

TV news anchor Njambi Koikai said Mr Mong’are, a popular comedian known as Nyambane, did not complete his degree course at the Kenyatta University.

Regina Manyara, who represented the job group titled temporary artistes, told the committee that women staff would be forced to sleep with their bosses before they would have their positions elevated to that of permanent status.

Committee vice chairman Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo called on the KBC employees who were sexually harassed to make another appearance before them.

He assured them that their submissions would be held in camera and they will not prejudice their positions.

“We are not even entitled to maternity leave,” said Ms Manyara.

“When I had my baby, I stayed home for two months for which I went unpaid and resumed to find a workload worth that time waiting for me.”

Also, Ms Daraja told them committee that irregular staff recruitment and disparities in remuneration was a major cause of conflict between staff and the management.

“We have people with low qualifications getting better pay,” she said adding that some people were appointed at the station in positions that were not publically advertised.

The joint committee on energy, information and communication is investigating the circumstances which led to last week’s nationwide strike.

It plans top meet representatives from various departments and managerial levels as well as visit KBC offices in Nairobi and other parts of the country.