Ezra Chiloba appointed to youth fund board

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba. [File, Standard]

Former IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba has been appointed a member of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund board, some 26 months after he was fired from the electoral agency for gross misconduct.

The fund was started to help create job opportunities for young people through entrepreneurship and encouraging them to be job creators and not job seekers.

Chiloba was appointed by the ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru who made the announcement in a gazette notice dated December 24.

He will serve for three years, Mucheru said.

In May, the board kicked out its chief executive officer Josiah Moriasi, opting not to renew his contract and instead appoint one in an acting capacity.

The fund's public relations manager Benson Muthendi, who helped found the kitty in 2007, took charge in acting capacity.

Chiloba will be joining 10 other board members including chairman Victor Mwongera to turn around the fortunes of the fund that has been riddled by leadership wrangles and embezzlement claims.

Just last month, Dr Joseph Mogendi resigned as a member of the board citing its 'inability to serve the youth'.

"As currently constituted, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund board leadership is deficiently objective and prejudiced to serve the youth of this great country," Dr Mogendi said in a letter dated November 18.

Chiloba was ousted from IEBC in 2018 after he was found culpable of accusation arising from an internal audit report on major procurement during the 2017 polls.

The report disclosed misappropriation of taxpayers' money in the run-up the last General Election and repeat Presidential election.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said they had been left no option but to sack Chiloba who at the time was on suspension.

"Mr Chiloba’s gross misconduct, breach and violations of the Commission’s Human Resource and Administration policies left the Commission with no option other than to terminate his employment," Chebukati said in a terse statement.

Chiloba has held his innocence claiming the process to fire him was predetermined and unfair.