Junior and mid-level staff members at the graft-riddled Bomas of Kenya have been thrown into panic mode after they were ordered to surrender all their original testimonials for review amid claims corruption allegations adversely incriminating senior management officials and a section of board members, The Informer has established.
However, they intended to petition workers union umbrella body, the Central Organisation for Trade Union (COTU) headed by Secretary General Francis Atwoli for recourse.
Yesterday, institution’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Koria Gitaa convened a meeting late afternoon where he ordered immediate surrender of all original certificates by staff members for review.
During the meeting, our investigations further established the CEO did not comment over a senior accountant who is alleged to be paying illegal daily allowances of Sh10, 000 to Sh20, 000 which a planned key agenda for the meeting.
“We read malice in the directive since all our documents and testimonials are in our personal file under the custody of the Human Resource Department. If there is need to authenticate any information, all those details are within their disposal. They just have to write to the respective institutions and authorities to authenticate if what is in the file is a true copy.” One of our sources intimated.
In what appeared like a move to prevail upon the staff members not to divulge information against the backdrop of a leaked dossier adversely incriminating senior officials of wanton embezzlement of funds and irregular payments, the staff members were promised to be given Christmas Holiday vouchers for the last festive season which they didn’t get as is the norm.
The alleged financial flaws at the institution is amounting to tens of millions but the parent ministry, Ministry of Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has remained mum over the matter.
When reached for comment, Principal Secretary, State Department for Tourism Zeinab Hussein did not respond to our queries.
However, speaking to The Informer on phone last week, Gitaa said he is yet to get time to go through the questionnaire.
“Right now, I am not in a position to answer any questionnaire. When I get time, I will look into it.” Gitaa said.
On his part, Board Chairman Josiah Magut said he will respond after verifying official information.
“Good afternoon, you can drop this letter to my office for appropriate response at Bomas. I will respond next week after verifying official information. Thanks” Magut said over the weekend through a Whatsapp text message.
The board which is mandated to give policy guidance within the institution has also remained tight-lipped.
One of the board members is said to have influenced award of multiple multi-million tenders to several firms associated with his fiancée.
Besides Magut who chairs the board, other board members include; Liya Khamisi Jaber, Francis Nkoitoi, Robert Kariuki, William O. Osewe and Beth Syengo.
Others are Jonah Orumoi (Managing Director, Tourism Finance Corporation), Margaret Byama standing in for Tourism and Wildlife PS, Kenneth Karani who is board member alternate for PS National Treasury and Jacob Munge, alternate board member for PS Culture.