Outgoing KEPROBA Board, CEO Wilfred Marube Moot Plan to illegaly Hire Directors
The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) Board and its outgoing CEO Wilfred Marube have mooted a plan to hire five directors without following due process.
The Board led by Jaswinder Bedi and Bruno Linyiru who is Trade Secretary and doubles up as a representative of the PS trade, want five employees who are serving in an acting capacity to be confirmed as substantive directors without advertising the positions.
The move will lock out many Kenyans who are qualified for the positions.
Insiders said the Board and the outgoing CEO want to reward their cronies.
The CEO has been replaced by Floice Mukabana in an acting capacity.
According the KEPROBA’s career guidelines published in 2019, the Board has to advertise all positions in grade 1 to grade 4 which fall vacant or are newly established.
The guide states that officers in grade 2 and 3 shall be appointed on a contract of upto 5years’ renewable once subject to performance.
The acting directors are under KEPROBA grade 3 and want to move to grade 2.
They are Celestine Rono strategy planning & quality assurance, Peter Ochieng research & Innovation, Maureen Mambo Nation Brand development, Marketing & Communication, Reuben Wanjala Resource center & ICT and Austin Macheso product & market development.
“The officers in grade 2 and 3 shall be appointed on a contract of upto 5 years’ renewable subject to performance” the guide says.
The current officers have been acting since 2019.
On 13th December 2022, CEO Wilfred Marube who is on terminal leave wrote to Trade PS Alfred K’Ombudo requesting for a waiver to the competitive recruitment of directors in acting positions.
The letter was received in the PS office on 15th December 2022.
In the letter, Marube said he had attached a draft letter to State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) for the PS to sign.
On 16 December 2022, one Bruno Linyiru the trade Secretary reportedly advised the PS that that matter was a Board and management issue that they can address internally.
“CEO/ KEPROBA, Board to deal with this issue,” the PS wrote back on 19/01/2023.
The five employees in collusion with the Board, have reportedly frustrated efforts for KEPROBA to be merged with the Kenya Tourism Board.
Insiders want Trade CS Moses Kuria to disband the current KEPROBA Board and have a new one in place which will advertise the positions and facilitate a merger with the Tourism Board.
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