Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has thwarted plot by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) board of directors to have Acting KAA Managing Director Alex Gitari appointed as the substantive boss.
The CS annulled the interviews after the board forwarded a single name, Gitari’s, for appointment negating the requisite requirement of at least three names from which the CS picks one.
The Informer has established that the divided KAA board and a section of senior management aligned to Gitari are now scheming have a member of the public challenge the CS’s decision through a court petition to maintain the status quo.
The infighting and emerging divisions within the state corporation’s policy advisory wing and the management comes against the backdrop of alleged irregular acquisition of hangars by board members through proxies at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Wilson Airport.
The term of Isaac Awuondo’s term as chair and that of a board member Bootsy Mutiso are lapsing at the end of this month.
“One faction of the board and a section of the senior management are pushing to have Gitari promoted irregularly. They are simply trying to fix a job for him through unprocedural process. Gitari’s interview was conducted in March.” An insider intimated.
Gitari has been serving in an acting capacity for almost two years now.
Last month, The Informer exposed how intense boardroom wars and disagreements between two rival factions comprising of directors of the board at the authority resulted to re-advertisement for the recruitment of the agency’s MD.
Interestingly, the aviation agency did not disclose findings of earlier interviews amid claims that some board members and senior KAA officials have blatantly opposed imposition of a preferred official believed to be the “desired candidate” of one of the rival factions, an insider said.
Without offering explanation to the 21 months delay, the agency blanketly encouraged all the applicants who had applied for the role nearly two years ago to re-apply and also called for fresh applicants who believe they meet the relevant criteria to apply not later than May 21, 2021.
KAA’s Managing Director post fell vacant on August 30, 2019 after MD Johnny Andersen announced his intention to quit before his close of term, citing personal reasons.