It’s a family affair at Kenya Pipeline Company, bosses stun MPs

Updated Wednesday, July 17th 2013 at 11:55 GMT +3

By Vitalis Kimutai

Nairobi, kenya: Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) runs like a family business with relatives holding various positions and working in the same department, a parliamentary committee heard.

Former managing director Salest Kilinda toldparliamentary Committee on Energy chaired by Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau that he employed his two sisters and a brother.

Some of his juniors also have as many as five blood relatives working at the company.

The embattled former managing director and the senior managers at the State Corporation influenced employment of their sons, daughters, sisters and nephews for various positions.

They used a loophole in the management policy that allows for workers to be taken in as casuals then are assessed and employed by the company on permanent terms.

Ms Rose Osiako, human resource manager, admitted she employed her daughter, while Mr Samuel Odoyo, finance manager, employed his sister. Only board chairman Samuel Maluki and chief human resource manager Rose Manji have no relatives at the company.

Kilinda confirmed that two of his sisters Agnes and Marietha and his brother Donald are employed at KPC but he was at pains to explain how they were hired.

Two sisters

“I have been accused of hiring clerks, welders and telephone operators but it should be known that it is done by the company and not me,” Kilinda said.

He said he approved the employment of his relatives based on recommendations of the managers of the company.

“I got requests from State House and Cabinet ministers to employ people in the company because it is a stable institution,” Kilinda said.

He added, “When people have to be taken through the interviewing process, it is difficult to turn down a relative yet they are qualified and have met all the requirements of the interviewing panel.”

Kilinda said the matter was not new as he had previously told a committee in the Tenth Parliament that his relatives worked at KPC.

Maluki said Kilinda confirmed to the board that indeed he had employed two sisters and a brother and that he was ordered to proceed on leave on May 29 this year to pave way for investigations into alleged misconduct before his contract was later terminated.