TSC Deputy Chief Executive Officer Fired For Allegedly Soliciting Tenders From Principals, Corruption And Abuse Of Office.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Deputy Chief Executive Fired Over Claims Of Soliciting For Tenders From Principals, corruption and abuse of office.
Dr. Kennedy Juma Mulumda, the assistant TSC chief executive officer was sacked over claims of soliciting for tenders from principals, corruption and abuse of office.
Dr Kennedy Juma Mulunda was found culpable of using his position to intimidate more than ten (10) principals from various schools in Western and Nyanza into awarding some companies contracts.
When he was probed by a team of Commissioners, Dr Mulanda was found guilty of threatening to deal with teachers who defied his overtures in the event that he becomes the chief executive officer after retirement of Dr Nancy Macharia
He was informed of his termination through a letter dated June 20, signed by Dr Macharia, who is in-charge of the secretariat staff.
According to Dr Macharia, the sacking of Dr Kennedy came after She acted under instructions from the commissioners after investigations from principals found overwhelming evidence against him.
Dr Mulunda was issued with a termination letter after being taken through a disciplinary committee in January. He is also accused of using his position as the deputy CEO to intimidate the commission’s officials in the regions.
“Pursuant to the provisions of clause 10 of your employment contract, the commission has made a decision to terminate your employment contract with effect from June 20, 2022,” reads the letter by Dr Macharia.
Sources indicate that TSC chairman, Dr Jamleck Muturi, appointed a special committee to investigate the allegations of abuse of office against Dr Mulunda and compiled a report in February.
Dr Mulunda is accused of the following allegations:
1. On diverse dates in 2020 and 2021, he abused his office by influencing, coercing and intimidating staffing officers to effect transfer of several principals in Western and Nyanza outside the approved transfer matrix in disregard of the commission’s transfer policy.
2. He is also accused of coercing principals from various public schools to award tenders to companies associated with him against the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act.
Among the tenders he demanded were fumigation services in various schools.
Another source indicates that 10 teachers from the region were invited by TSC and they testified against him. It is indicated in the report released by the team of commissioners that Dr Mulunda influenced the school to award the tender of laboratory chemicals and equipment to a company that was not among the prequalified suppliers.
In some of the schools, the principals told the commissioners that Dr Mulunda engaged chairpersons of boards to award the tenders to the companies without following procurement regulations. In other schools, he coerced the principals to award the tenders to his relatives.
He always threatened principals who refused to heed to his instructions that he would serve them with transfers or initiated their transfers as a way of punishing them.
According to one of the principal who testified against Kennedy said that he would visit schools and introduce suppliers of various goods such as stationery and printing papers and demand that the schools award the tenders to them.
Another principal told the commissioners that Dr Mulunda introduced him to a security firm based in Nairobi and demanded that he awards the company security services tender, which he declined.
In the TSC’s termination letter, Dr Macharia said Dr Mulunda was invited to show cause why his contract of employment could not be terminated on the grounds that he breached the Public Officers and Ethics Act.
Dr Mulunda denied the allegations before the committee.
“The commission has carefully reviewed your case, the evidence presented before it as well as your written response and determined that you were guilty of the allegations raised against you which is in violation of the terms and condition of your contract,” said Dr Macharia.
