•'High office' said to have intervened for Sang to continue serving.
•All board departments except one have acting heads.
A recruitment controversy has rocked the National Cereals and Produce Board as doubts fly over the position of the managing director.
A successful candidate for the MD's post was given a letter of offer but asked to indefinitely delay reporting.
This is despite incumbent managing director Albin Sang' attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 in February.
Sang was appointed acting MD in May last year to take over from Newton Terer, who was sent home in far-reaching changes over Sh6 billion maize scam.
The Star has established that after interviews in November last year, the board chaired by Mutea Iringo settled on Joseph Muna Kimote as the new managing director.
Kimote, the general manager, Strategy Research and Development, at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), was appointed early February.
Top managers at the Industrial Area-based cereals bold told the Star it is still not clear why Kimote had not reported for duty.
They talked of a "higher office" intervening such that Sang' was given a one-year-extension of service.
“It is like there are some forces keen in ensuring that the top management of NCPB is under people from a certain region,” said a senior manager who sought anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The board concluded the recruitment, but there were fresh "orders" which necessitated a hurried decision to delay the new MD’s appointment.
In 2015, Kimote was denied the opportunity of being the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund despite being the best candidate during the interview.
Former Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru appointed the late Catherine Namuye to the position.
NCPB is a strategic agency with massive resources at its disposal and the position of MD attracts behind-the-scenes intrigues of tribal affiliation and politics.
A senior member of staff has a case in court against the cereals agency questioning the recruitment process for top managers.
The case filed by Ernest Moturi Ogwora, through lawyer Danstan Omari, is before Justice Helen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
He alleges discrimination in recruitment and accuses the employer of intentionally overlooking him despite having done and passed the necessary interview for appointment as a General Manager in early 2010.
Moturi says he was discriminated despite being the only substantive head of the department while others are on acting capacities.
In one particular incident in 2013 he alleges that three members of staff were promoted to a level equivalent to his three months to the retirement of managing director Gideon Misoi.
On the retirement of the then MD, one of the three was appointed acting MD.
In subsequent interviews for the substantive filling of the position of the MD, it is alleged that the person who had been appointed acting MD was not invited for the interview over "deficiency in qualifications."
One of the most recent recruitments was advertised in the media on June 19, 2018 and interviews conducted towards the end of 2018.
Board chairman Iringo, in a letter to Moturi, cites deficiency in qualifications and experience for the general manager position.
Ironically, the board found him qualified for the position of Managing Director of which he was invited for interviews.
The deficiency cited is that Moturi does not have a bachelor's degree in Marketing and is not a member of the Marketing Society of Kenya.
From the court papers, Moturi has been a manager at the level of head of the department since August 2000, has an MBA in Marketing and Strategic Management and is in the final stages of acquiring a PhD in Marketing.
“The current recruitment criterion was purposely cast to disadvantage the petitioner as previous holders of the position of general manager, Marketing and Operations had inferior qualifications and experience compared to his,” Moturi avers in court papers.