How parastatal board chairpersons, members abuse their powers - State officials

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei./FILE

State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) Secretary Simion Indimuli and Inspector General of the State Corporations James Warui have raised concerns over misuse of resources and privileges by board officials of state agencies.

The state Corporations regulators say some board officials have been abusing the privilege of transport by using government vehicles to run personal errands.

In one case, the unnamed chairman of a parastatal employed his girlfriend as the corporation secretary, while some chairs engage in the day-to-day running of their agencies, which has been fingered as irregular.  

Some of the board chairs use government vehicles which are mounted private number plates to conceal their registration while others hire unqualified officers.

Inspector General of State Corporations James Warui warned members of the boards also irregularly review salaries of their CEOs or top managers.

Warui said one of the parastatals has seen the board increase a salary of its CEO three times and also increased his entertainment allowance by 20 percent.

“We have written to that particular corporation asking for minutes of the Board meetings that reviewed the salary and allowances to enable us surcharge the Board and the CEO the illegal payments,” he said.

Warui also revealed that in some case, a board of one of the agencies hired a CEO who had D Plus in KSCE exams and had doubtful professional certificates, while another hired his girlfriend.

“Board Y employed an unqualified Company Secretary who had a romantic relation with the Board chairman. This is tantamount to conflict of interest, and such acts are liable to surcharge,” the IG of State Corporations cautioned.

Chairpersons and board members are only supposed to be provided official transport (car) while on official duty of the state corporation, according to SCAC.

However, Indimuli says some parastatal bosses arm-twist their Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to provide them with transport beyond their working hours.

“Compliance remains hazy since CEOs only mumble about the actual practice. The worst bit involves rumoured board chairpersons/members signing work tickets,” Indimuli said.

The SCAC boss said board officials found to violate this requirement risk being degazetted and surcharged for abuse of office.

Indimuli was speaking on Wednesday morning in a zoom meeting attended by Principal Secretaries (PSs), chairpersons, members of boards, CEOs and corporation secretaries of parastatals following a directive of Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.

The SCAC boss said some board members go to the office on regular basis and start issuing directives to staffs when they are appointed on non-executive terms.

“Let me remind the board members that you are not executive appointees to go to the office every day. In some cases, you have board members issuing directives to staffs on operations such as procurements matters,” Indimuli said.

SCAC also raised concerns over some board members, who are alternatives to PSs, being irregularly appointed either by overstaying in the boards or being less qualified.

PSs have been put on the spot for appointments of incompetent alternates who lack requisite experience, with some lacking independence of thought and keeping on consulting their appointing authorities in the course of their meetings.

“Government policy has required the selection of alternative directors by PSs to be on the basis of subject matter expertise, knowledge and experience, and the officer’s integrity serving below job Group ‘P’,” Indimuli said.

He added; “The officers are required to serve only if duly appointed for a three-year term, renewable once. There is a serious breach relating to officers in lower grades, those who are serving beyond three years without reappointment, and some are still serving beyond six years.”

The session was part of a three-week directive by Koskei to all public servants to attend mandatory online sensitisation and training on addressing inefficiency, impunity, and corruption.

The trainings and sensitisation are being used as a forum to reiterate the roles of various officers in addressing impunity, indiscipline, inefficiency, and corruption in the civil service.

The exercise that commenced on October 29, 2025, is slated to end today, November 12, 2025, according to a circular from Koskei’s office.