• The EACC has moved to investigate allegations that he was irregularly paid salaries and allowances beyond the stipulated limits.
• The commission asked for a human resource policy and procedure manual guiding the increment of salaries and allowances.
Outgoing Kenya Film Classification Board boss Ezekiel Mutua has defended his tenure amid revelations he pocketed more than he deserved while at the agency.
Mutua was on Friday sent on terminal leave after leading the board as CEO for six years. Christopher Wambua replaced him in an acting capacity.
During his tenure, Mutua constantly clashed with artists over what he termed 'dirty content'.
However, Mutua took to social media to defend his record, saying the board over-performed in all its targets.
“Yesterday all SAGAs under the Ministry of ICT signed the 2021-22 PC Vetting with CS Joe Mucheru as required by law,” he said.
"I led the KFCB team of directors and senior managers. From the presentation, KFCB has over-performed in all its targets for the FY 2020-21, in some instances scoring over 300 per cent,” he added.
Mutua cited the issuance of film licenses, disclosing that the board issued over 4,700 film licenses in the last financial year alone.
“When we took over the function from DFS in 2016, the highest number of filming licenses issued was 100,” he said.
Mutua took issue with the media, which he said portrayed his performance as one riddled with controversy and differences with the ‘creators of dirty content'.
“I think no sane person can celebrate the explicit content exhibited in different platforms in our media today, especially where children are likely to be watching or listening," he said.
“It would have been a dereliction of duty if we didn't call out the unpalatable content creators and promote clean content.”
But as he defended his tenure, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission moved to investigate allegations that he was irregularly paid salaries and allowances beyond the stipulated limits.
The EACC had written to the agency asking for documents on payment of salaries and allowances to Mutua.
The commission also asked for a human resource policy and procedure manual guiding the increment of salaries and allowances.
The letter from the commission was dated May 6, 2021, and was received by the board on May 10, 2021.
The investigations follows a findings by the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) that Mutua was irregularly overpaid.
In a letter to CS Mucheru, SCAC asked for the recovery of the money irregularly paid to the CEO.
In the letter dated June 30, SCAC faulted the board for convening to discuss extending Mutua’s term as the CEO contrary to the set guidelines.
SCAC also accused the board of preventing its inspector from attending its meeting contrary to the law.
“The action of preventing inspector general’s participation at the board meeting can only be construed as being pursuant to the findings as above,” the letter reads.
Edited by A.N