By The Weekly Vision Team
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is opposed to the appointment of John Ntoiti as the new director of revenue at Nairobi’s City Hall. Mr. Ntoiti was appointed to replace Shaban Asman, who retired recently.
Investigations reveal that the Public Service Commission is opposed to Mr Ntoiti’s appointment after questions emerged as to whether he had resigned from City Hall before joining the County Government of Meru during Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s tenure. The PSC wrote to the County Public Service Board over claims that Mr Ntoti’s appointment was not procedural and that he has integrity questions hanging over his head and a pending case with the county government of Meru.
According to well-placed sources at City Hall, Mr Ntoiti’s appointment also raised eyebrows as more experienced officers who have served at the department for a long period were overlooked. It is claimed that his appointment was brokered by a section of MCAs, who in turn brought on board Acting County Secretary Patrick Analo.
Several meetings were held to push for his appointment, with sources saying Mr. Analo attended all meetings to confirm Mr. Ntoiti. It is said that Mr Analo was arm-twisted by the MCAs, who assured him that they would support his pursuit of becoming substantive country secretary. The MCAs went further to threaten him that if Ntoiti is not appointed acting Revenue Officer, the MCAs will also push for his removal since he has served for more than 6 months as CS in disregard of the county human resources laws.
It is said that the MCAs also lobbied Finance County Executive Committee Member Charles Kerich to accept Ntoiti. It was Kerich who announced the appointment of Ntoiti as acting revenue officer. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is said to have kept away from the matter and allowed Kerich to handle the issue. Ntoiti’s controversial appointment has come at a time when the county is in the process of transitioning its revenue operations to the Nairobi Revenue Authority, which will begin its full operations this year.
Sources say officers at the finance and revenue departments are now threatening to petition the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to probe the circumstances under which Mr Ntoiti’s appointment was arrived at.
But even as Ntoiti’s appointment continues to raise eyebrows, sources revealed that EACC is currently investigating several county officers believed to be secretly holding more than one position. Former County Secretary Jairus Musumba, who has been shortlisted for five different positions for the chief officer, is listed as the chief officer boroughs; the position is currently held by another person in an acting capacity.
Records at the Human Resources department reveal that Mr Musumba is a director in the health department and also serves in different positions in the borough’s department. Also under investigation is Mr. Analo, who is the acting county secretary. Sources say that Mr. Analo never resigned as the director of outdoor advertising before moving to the department of planning. What this means is that if Sakaja relieves him of his duties as Chief Officer for Planning, he is still a county employee. The law demands that once you are appointed as a chief officer, you resign and get fresh employment on contract terms.
