Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency (CRVWWDA) chief executive Samuel Oruma who is in office controversially has raised a storm in the manner in which he has been running the agency. This is after it emerged that he is using strong-arm tactics to deal with employees including firing them without following due procedure while targeting a particular community.
Wendot was in February reinstated as the CEO of the Water Agency after the court established that he had been dismissed unfairly by the board in 2012.
“Consequently, the chief executive officer (Engineer Hosea Wendot) shall remain in office as the CEO of the 1st respondent with full salaries and all allowances and other benefits that the Board of Management’s operations is frozen.”
Oruma who was elevated to the position of CEO upon Wendot’s exit has vowed to stay put saying, “I am the CEO, Wendot’s term ended and I am not going to leave this seat.” He has also insisted that he is going nowhere until he gets communication from the Ministry of Water, which is his parent employer.
Meanwhile, Oruma remains in office pending the hearing and determination of the case that has been transferred to the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
“In the premises, this petition together with the pending applications are transferred to the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nakuru for hearing and determination and or for further directions. The interim orders earlier issued are hereby discharged,” ruled the court.
But as the stalemate over the position of CEO continues, sources have told sauce.co.ke that Oruma is behind the scenes committing blatant ethnic discrimination and total disregard of the Constitution, Employment Act (2007).
A number of junior and senior employees have been fired under mysterious circumstances without following the laid down guidelines of the agency as those related to the CEO get employed to fill them without their positions being advertised.
In February the CEO verbally fired Environmental Officer Caroline Langat and drivers Daudi Kipkemei and Robert Ngetich. This week; on May 9 Oruma’s secretary fired Caleb Kimanyim (Human Resources Assistant), Julius Kipkosgei (Water Technician) and Huldah Chepkoech an engineer.
Also shown the door was Daniel Ndegwa who was the former CEO Wendot’s driver, Daniel Labatt (Water Technician) and Victor Chepkuto (Driver). Interestingly all the fired staff were not given one month notices as required by the agency’s human resource laws. They were terminated on May 10 and told to go home.
Additionally, most of these staff were working at the Kiptogot Kolongolo, Ugunja Sega Ukwala water projects and the Olkalou Sewerage projects which are yet to be completed. Their appointment letters had said that their contracts were valid until the completion of the aforesaid projects.
None of these employees were subjected to any disciplinary process before being fired. Interestingly, it appears that the disregard of procedures does not only exist in the way employees are fired at the agency but how they are hired too.
Among those who have been hired this way is the CEO’s brother Geoffrey Saidimu who currently works as a driver at the Chepareria Sewerage Project. Interestingly the project was supposed to be officially complete by July 4, 2022. The CEO’s driver is however still drawing a salary from the project to date.
The CEO also further employed Nancy Sepeko Musanka on 1st August 2021 as Communication Officer (Daughter in Law to CRVWWDA Director Lorna Timanoi) and Jimmy Leyian Nkowua on 1st February 2021 as Assistant Liaison Officer. Jimmy is a son to Lorna Timanoi who is one of the directors of the agency.
In a similar fashion, Raychelle Njambi who is a daughter to Mathenge Ndiritu, one of the directors was hired on the spot upon completion of her internship as a Corporate Communications Assistant on January 3 this year.
The CEO also in his absolute power wrote a letter of secondment of Justus Parsamai Lemein, an Engineer at CRVWWDA under Kilgoris Lolgorian Water Supply Project, in February 2023 to Narok Water and Sanitation Company Limited as an Acting Managing Director.
Curiously, Stephen Kuntayo (Cousin to Patrose Leshinka – 2nd Wife of the CEO and Principal Engineer at CRVWWDA), a Water Technician who resigned in August 2021 from CRVWWDA to accept a job in Kajiado County has in mysterious circumstances returned to the agency as a hydrologist. He was rehired on April 19 for the Bomet Mulot Water Project.
As seen in all these instances, the CEO has taken over the job description and responsibilities of the Human Resource Manager. She has been relegated to being a recipient of letters drafted by the CEO’s sleuths without her knowledge or professional opinion.