Minister defends move to pick KMTC boss before committees

Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o has defended his appointment of Dr Charles Olang’o Onudi as the Kenya Medical Training College director (KMTC).

It was setback for MPs from the Delegated Legislation, Health and Equal Opportunities committees when Prof Nyong’o, deployed intellectual rigour and linguistic prowess to parry the hostile MPs’ claim that he broke the KMTC Act.

They claimed he broke the law when he appointed Dr Onudi, disregarding names short-listed by the KMTC board.

MPs led by Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara claimed under the Act the minister did not have discretion to appoint without the input of the board.

The minister told Imanyara although he was dissatisfied with the recommendation of the board, he could not refer the matter to it because the board itself was under investigation for problems at KMTC.

Extreme pressure

Besides, its term was ending, according to the minister who argued that he appointed "a substantive director and not an acting one" because there was "extreme pressure" from staff, students and lecturers to end problems at the institution with a firm posting.

Nyong’o insisted the word "advise is very broad" and added he had discretion "under the law as established" to disregard "misleading advice."

And he said it is the board which came up with a mode of recruitment that involved a recruitment firm and forwarding of names and there was no express decree in the Act ordering him to accept suggested names.

Nyong’o attacked the integrity of the human resources agency and board that vetted the candidates for the post. He said the board and three of the candidates — Dr Jebich Maswani, Dr Mildred Mudany and Dr Timothy King’ondu — from a list of four given to him to choose from were implicated in mismanagement and irregularities at KMTC.

"It is a decision I made and I am sure I can live with it."

The minister said he was perturbed that the board and recruiting firm had settled on people mentioned adversely and excluded Dr Onudi, whom he described as "extremely competent and well qualified" for the onerous task of rehabilitation KMTC after years of mismanagement.

"I think I did what was right for the country, ministry and institution," he said.

Nyong’o said he would make a similar appointment "under similar circumstances".

Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo tried to have the minister declared hostile after alleging Nyong’o was arrogant in his replies.

Probe ordered

Health Committee chairman Robert Monda forced the minister to apologise and withdraw the use of the phrase "let us be sensible" which the MP claimed implied the three-committee members "not sensible".

Before Parliament went on recess last year in December Speaker Kenneth Marende ordered the committees to investigate the appointment of Dr Charles Olang’o Onudi as KMTC Director by Nyong’o and report to Parliament in four weeks.

The appointment of Onudi caused an uproar in Parliament in December before MPs went on recess.