OVER-AGE PERMANENT SECRETARIES WILL EXIT AFTER POLLS: PUBLIC SERVICE MINISTER

Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno. FILE/NATION 

By JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, February 15  2012 at  12:30

Four Permanent Secretaries who are beyond the retirement age will not be in office after the next General Election, Public Service minister Dalmas Otieno has told Parliament.

They are Patrick Nyoike (Energy), Dr James Nyikal (Gender), Prof Karega Mutahi (Local Government) and Joseph Kinyua (Finance).

Mr Kinyua and Dr Nyikal have just attained the retirement age while Mr Nyoike is 64. Prof Mutahi is eight years beyond the age at which the Government retires civil servants.

Former Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura, also beyond the retirement age, has since left office following the confirmation of the charges against him at the International Criminal Court.

Kenya Revenue Authority head Michael Waweru is expected to retire at the end of February while Alexander Kamincha at the Kenya National Assurance Corporation ought to have left last December, said Mr Otieno.

MPs had questioned the government's rationale in retaining Permanent Secretaries who have attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.

Kisumu Town West MP Olago Aluoch said Mr Muthaura’s “stepping aside” has no meaning in public service.

Minister Otieno said stepping aside means that if anything happens in the ICC case that would allow Mr Muthaura to take up his duties again, he would continue as per his contract.

He said they had been retained on contract on the basis that their “expertise and services” and are appointed and retained at the pleasure of the President under the old constitution.The Minister said the civil servants would leave employment “when their contracts expire but not later than the next General Election.”

These powers have been preserved until after the next elections, Mr Otieno told the House, when the Public Service Commission will make recommendations on those who merit promotion to PS, the accounting officer at the ministry.

MPs Ekwee Ethuro (Turkana Central, PNU), Dr Wilbur Ottichillo (Emuhaya, ODM) and Gitobu Imanyara (Imenti Central, CCU) complained that their continued stay in office is often at the service of the appointing authority rather than the public.

Said John Mbadi (Gwassi, ODM): “What expertise has Karega taken to Local Government yet we’re still complaining that he led to the loss of billions of shillings of the Free Primary Education funds?”

“This minister should confirm that the extension of the retirement age from 55 to 60 was to reward these old men. Their ethnicity and political connections have been used to retain these old men,” said Mr Ethuro.