Ludeki Chweya denies using bodyguards to evict KSG director from office

Prof Ludeki Chweya

The Director General of the Kenya School of Government (KSG) Prof Ludeki Chweya.

Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • But Chweya said he was always accompanied by police officers attached to him since 2008 when he served as Home Affairs permanent secretary.
  • Dr Chwya further testified that the claimants were not appointed as directors of the two campuses of the institution.
  • The court further directed that they discharge their duties as directors pending the hearing and determination of the case.
  • Hearing was set for November 23, 2016.

The director-general and chief executive officer Kenya School of Government, Ludeki Chweya, has denied using his bodyguards to evict a director of the institution from office.

In his defence before Justice Onesmus Makau of the Labour Relations Court in Mombasa, Dr Chweya dismissed the allegations, saying he was always accompanied by police officers attached to him since 2008 when he served as Home Affairs permanent secretary.

He was responding to claims by Mr Jeremiah Nyaberi, the director Kenya School of Government, Matuga Campus, that Dr Chweya “almost’’ evicted him from the office after protesting his redeployment within the institution.

“We issued the claimants with deployment letters on 11 June 2015 and on 18 which was on a Friday. I visited [the] Mombasa campus in the morning and in the afternoon travelled to [the] Matuga campus [together] with senior staff and the new directors for handover.

“The claimant in [the] Mombasa campus expressed his disappointment quite strongly and I told him we were all subject to the authority of the council,” said Dr Chweya while being cross examined by Senior Litigation Counsel Ruth Lutta from the Attorney-General’s chambers.

MATTER DOESN'T ARISE

He added: “The matter of eviction does not arise. We didn’t anticipate any resistance. It is true I was with my security; I had security officers assigned to me since 2008.

“They are officers assigned to me by [the] Kenya Police Service. It wasn’t necessary to issue threats.

“I said to them verbally to hand over and report the following week to [the] Nairobi campus for redeployment. It would have been premature to even think they will defy the directive of the council.”

Dr Chwya further testified that Mr Nyaberi and his co-claimant, Mr Alfonso Munyali, director, KSG Mombasa were not appointed as directors of the two campuses of the institution.

In the case KSG council, Dr Chweya, Dr Tom Wanyama and Ms Prisca Mary Oluoch are listed as first, second, third and four respondents respectively.

ABSORBED INTO KSG

Dr Chweya, testified that they opted to be absorbed into the school after the government amalgamated Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA), Kenya Development and Learning Centre (KDLC) and the Government Training Institute (GTI).

“KSG was formed as part of vision 2013 to ensure public service is a citizen-focused and results-oriented institution serving a rapidly growing economy and society.

We benchmark with international institutions and ensure we set the highest standards,” Dr Chweya said.

He said the complainants were former GTI employees and remained in their former positions during the transition period when a lot of changes were being done to the KSG including hiring of several senior staff including himself to ensure it achieved its core objectives.

He testified that as part of reforms, the council in charge of the school resolved to advertise for new positions of directors of Mombasa, Matuga, Embu, Lower Kabete and Baringo campuses for competitive recruitment.

“They protested the advertisement and came to my office in Nairobi asking whether suitability interviews can be conducted on them.

“I responded that the council had made the decision that all the positions should be filled [competitively],” added the CEO.

Mr Nyaberi and Mr Alfonso Munyali obtained an injunctive order pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The court further directed that they will discharge their duties as directors with full benefits pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Hearing was set for November 23, 2016.