FORMER NSSF Managing Trustee Tom Odongo was allegedly fired because he wanted the NSSF Act amended to provide that members of the board of trustees should have at least a degree from a recognized university.
Odongo wanted the proposal included in the National Social Security Pension Trust Bill which is due to be presented to the National Assembly for debate
Powerful foreign brokers who are involved in the controversial 36 storey Hazina Trade Centre tender also played a part in Odongo's dismissal by Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi on Monday.
The Hazina Trade Centre project was revived earlier this year when the NSSF invited new bids for the project. The initial bidding was in 2011 and Cementer Limited won the tender.
Two Chinese companies who lost the bid—China Jiangxi International Kenya and China Wu Yi — went to court and managed to have the tender cancelled.
“It’s all got to do with strong foreign (Chinese) brokers involved in the Hazina project. They are extremely strong in this government,” another source said.
Odongo's sacking is similar to the ouster of Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA) managing director Abdul Agonga by the Environment Secretary Judi Wakhungu.
Like Odongo’s sacking, no explanation was given for Agonga’s ouster. Similarly, Agonga like Odongo had served just a few months of his three year contract before he got embroiled in a legal tussle for attempting to stop a flawed tendering process.
“I do not want to go there. I do not want to blame the government, Odongo, the board or myself for now because it would be prejudicial to do that. This is because the board will soon meet over the same and I do not want to discuss matters that may crop up,” COTU boss Francis Atwoli told the Star.
Atwoli represents employees on the board whose other members include the Federation of Kenya Employers' representative Jackline Mugo, the board chairman, Adan Mohamed, Labour principal secretary Ali Noor Ismail, Finance principal secretary Kamau Thuge, Dr Cleopha Mailu of Nairobi Hospital and Cornelius Nyang’un.
Another member Fred Rabong’o whose appointment was pushed on the board by former Labour minister John Munyes was also sacked at the same time as Odongo.
The NSSF chairman Adan Mohamed declined to comment on the Odongo sacking referring the Star to Kazungu. However, when the Star contacted the Labour Secretary, he promised to respond but had not done so by the time of going to press.
Under the NSSF Act, the Labour Secretary cannot unilaterally sack the managing trustee. All trustees, other than the two PS’s and the managing trustee can only be removed by the Labour Secretary if they absent themselves from meetings without cause, are adjudged bankrupt, convicted of an offence, incapacitated or “otherwise unable to discharge their functions.”
“Kazungu is a government minister, he sits in the Cabinet. And when he makes decisions such as these, it must be after thorough consultations with even higher authorities than the board. Be that as it may though, I do not wish to discuss the matter for now,” Atwoli said when asked about the unilateral decision taken by Kazungu.
If Odongo's proposal had succeeded, the first casualty would have been Atwoli. Another clause which proposed removing the requirement that the quorum of the board can only be met if either the FKE or the COTU representatives are did not find favor with some of the board members allied to Atwoli.
Yesterday, Atwoli denied that Odongo's sacking was in any way due to the proposed amendments to the NSSF Act. "That is out of place. He had nothing to do with that Bill. He played no prominent role in the Bill. The drafters and other social partners were the ones leading on the Bill issue.”
A fortnight ago, Odongo hosted MPs in Mombasa to lobby them to support the Bill. Unknown to him, a number of board members met with Kazungu one evening during the workshop and that is when they agreed he should be fired.
Yesterday, one of the NSSF board members Kamau Thuge was appointed a member of a task force appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to review parastatal policies, identify challenges and propose a new policy direction for state corporations.
Other members are Abdikadir Mohamed from the Office of the President, Mugo Kibati of Vision 2030, Korir Sing’oei from the Office of the Deputy President, Stella Kilonzo, Angalie Mediratta and Carole Kariuki from private sector, Isaac Awuondo from Commercial Bank of Africa, Nelson Kuria (CIC Group) and Edward Burbidge (Burbidge Capital Ltd). Members of the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC), Economic and Political Advisors in the Executive Office of the President and the Inspector-General of Corporations will be ex-officio members.
The task force will conduct an audit of the human resources with the aim of getting qualified and capable people in the boards and senior management levels with specific bias to women, youth and other special categories of Kenyans.
And just a day after Odongo's , lobbying was going on to have several people, including Richard Sunkuli brother of a former Internal Security minister Julius Sunkuli appointed to the NSSF.
Even as the lobbying started, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero was reported to have secured an urgent meeting with President Uhuru last evening to plead for Odongo's reinstatement at the board and to avoid politicization of the sacking.
“As much as the Luo Nyanza voted overwhelmingly for the CORD Coalition, this does not mean that Luo professionals should be persecuted in this new administration; and that is principally the reason the governor is intervening,” said a source close to the arranged meeting.
Uhuru is set to visit South Nyanza next week.
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