EACC probes jobs board over staff promotions

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating Nairobi City County Assembly Service Board over promotion of 28 senior officers.

The anti-graft agency is probing alleged irregular promotion of staff between 2017 and 2020. The board is accused of undertaking the promotions in disregard of the law and due process. 

This was stated in a September 22 letter by EACC, to the assembly clerk. A brief seen by The Standard further indicated that the promotions were done without requisite budgetary provisions.

In 2019, the board reportedly did not make budgetary provisions or engage the Commission on Revenue Allocation to cater for the promotions.

The document states that this strained the budget and led to suspension of critical services to allow the assembly to pay salaries, leading to the creation of pending bills amounting to Sh51 million by the end of the financial year, 2020/2021.

The board is also accused of discrimination and bias in conducting direct appointments “favouring contract employees related to the chairperson of the board as of 2019.” It also alleged that the board indiscriminately handled the internship programme.

“The Assembly had 18 interns as of May 2020, but the board abruptly and without cause terminated the services of all interns except a few. Later on, other interns who had been terminated were recalled and employed on contract. Additionally, some of these officers continued to earn salaries without contracts of employment,” stated the document.

EACC is asking to be furnished with documents to aid with the probe.