- Treasury CS Ukur Yatani’s pick for the National Government Constituency Development Fund CEO is serving a disciplinary suspension from a local university.
A parliamentary House committee on Tuesday rejected Mohamed Abdille's nomination as the National Government Constituency Development Fund CEO.
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani’s pick for the National Government Constituency Development Fund CEO is serving a disciplinary suspension from a local university.
Records show that Prof Mohammed Abdille was suspended on November 15, 2019, for, among other allegations, taking away university property.
Yatani nominated Abdille, who was Masaai Mara University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Finance and Planning, to replace acting CEO Yusuf Mbuno.
Mbuno has been in charge of CDF for the last eight years.
The suspension letter signed by MMU Council chairman Samuel Ochola painted Abdille as a man of questionable integrity, something that might come to haunt him during last Thursday’s vetting.
Parliament has invited the public to submit their memorandum on the nominee ahead of the vetting.
Ochola said in the letter seen by the Star that Abdille was suspended due to gross misconduct, incitement of both students and staff and travelling overseas without clearance from the university as is required by government regulations.
The nominee is also accused of abuse of office with university council saying he presided over irregular employment of staff, usurping council powers and insubordination of acting Vice-Chancellor Kitche Magak.
The council also accused Abdille of taking away a portion of a carpet used for renovation of the university’s conference hall.
“Following deliberations made by council on the matters touching on your conduct and in the best interest of the university, it has been resolved that you be suspended from duty with immediate effect as per the guidelines of the Discipline Manual for the Public Service,” Ochola's letter dated November 15 said.
“You will have an opportunity to respond to the following allegations which have been considered in reaching this decision.”
When contacted, Abdille poured cold water on the claims terming them "cartels fighting back" in reference to his stand on siphoning off of public funds that was the order of the day at MMU.
He said he was innocent, citing a November 20 letter from DCI George Kinoti to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha recommending his reinstatement.
The letter, signed by John Kariuki for Kinoti, also stated that Abdille is a key witness in the multi-million-shilling graft investigation at the university.
The letter continued: “We are requesting your good office to intervene for status quo to be restored so as not to frustrate and punish the witness (es).”
It is a legal requirement that the CEO be recruited competitively. Three names are forwarded to the Cabinet Secretary for appointment after the National Assembly’s approval.
Since the Fund became operational, Only Agnes Odhiambo – former Controller of Budget - has been competitively recruited since the fund became operational.
There have been three unsuccessful attempts so far.
Should Parliament reject the nominee, the Treasury CS must submit another name to Parliament for consideration from the remaining two in seven days.
If the National Assembly rejects the nominee, the Speaker is required – in three days – to communicate the decision to the CS and request fresh nomination.
"The Cabinet Secretary shall submit to the National Assembly a name from the list initially forwarded by the board within seven days of receipt of the communication from the Speaker,” the CDF regulations state.