Africa-Press – Kenya. Senators have opened probe into the Competition Authority of Kenya recruitment dealings over alleged favouritism in job opportunities.
This is after it emerged that the Authority might have engaged in dealings to favour some applicants who had applied for the position of Director General.
The Senate Committee on National Cohesion probing the matter questioned the Authority over the alleged contravention of employment act by re introducing applicants who didn’t meet the requirements for the Director General’s post.
The Authority is said to have included an additional 33 applicants who failed to make the cut for the DGs post on top of the 22 who had initially met the qualifications.
The matter came public after nominated senator Raphael Chimera sought to know the circumstances under which the Authority had exempted some qualifications that were initially in the original call for applications.
Chairman of the Cohession Committee Mohamed Chute noted that the committee is seeking details of the tendering process for the procurement of recruitment services by the Competition Authority.
“They were recruiting a Director general, they outsourced a firm (ACAL is a management consulting firm) that pre-qualified 22 people under some conditions. So the others didn’t meet these conditions but they were brought back again and the requirement that bared them was removed,” said Chair of the Cohesion Committee Mohamed Chute.
The senators also want a report on the fairness of the recruitment process, confirmation of claims of conflict of interest in the operations of CAK and a clarification on whether Public Service Commission is monitoring the recruitment process to ensure that it aligns with principles of meritocracy.
The senators had summoned CAK chairman Shaka Kariuki to appear before the committee and answer to the questions.
Kariuki however wrote back and delegated the same to the acting DG Adano Wario and Director Corporate Service Erick Mwangi.
The committee however expressed displeasure with the move and sent them back, noting that they Were not the right individuals to answer to the matter.
“The letter here is signed by one Shaka Kariuki, if he is your chair I don’t understand why he is not here today. He is supposed to be here to answer these. It is as if he is running away from his responsibilities,” said Chute.
Chimera also supported the move to send away the representatives saying the acting DG is among the applicants and cannot answer to the concerns.
“We are trying to dig this information on how some of the requirements were exempted to add more people in to the program. We want the chairman and Principal Secretary to answer these questions in the next seven days,” added Chute.
If Competition Authority of Kenya is found guilty to have favoured some applicants Chute said that the exercise will have to be repeated.
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