Former acting managing director of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Samuel Maina apologised to ICT CS Eliud Owalo and State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunication PS Edward Kisiangani before he was sacked.
A letter seen by the Star indicates that Maina owned up to the mistake that he was accused of in a sack letter drafted by CS Owalo to the KBC board.
"I refer to a letter RE KHC/MD/5/42/A/C dated 18 December 2023 which was directly addressed to Mr. Matthew Vinall of Dentons UK, the law firm that represents KBC in LCIA Arhimation No. 12223. The letter was copied to your offices," Maina's letter read in part.
In the letter, Maina committed the government to pay US$ 5 billion in LICA Arbitration No. 122233: Channel 2 Group Corporation versus Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
Owalo said the former acting MD blundered since he did not seek concurrence with the ministry, the National Treasury, the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice.
In his letter to the CS and PS, Maina owned up to the blunder and informed the two bosses that he had rescinded the decision.
"I profusely apologize for not consulting yourself or the Principal Secretary in our ministry before doing the letter. I have also noted there was a grievous misrepresentation of the figure quoted in the letter."
"I have forthwith withdrawn the letter and commit that such an error will not occur again."
In a letter to the chairman of the board, Benjamin K. Maingi, Owalo said Maina should proceed on suspension immediately and disciplinary action instituted against him.
“I duly appoint Paul Macharia, currently the Communication Economic Expert at the National Communications Secretariat which falls under the mandate of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy as the acting managing director with effect from December 19, 2023 for six months or upon the appointment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 34 of the Public Service Commission Act, No. 10 of 2017,” Owalo said.
The CS instructed the board to expedite the process of recruitment of a substantive managing director for the corporation.
