Even as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) board interviews of the 8 candidates shortlisted for Director-General begin on Tuesday and Wednesday, one question is clear: Why is the Environment CS Keriako Tobiko pushing to have an unqualified and close relative of the National Treasury CS Ukur Yattani to become the next Director-General of NEMA?
Mamo B. Mamo, the “preferred candidate”, does not even qualify to be an acting NEMA Director-General on grounds that he was irregularly pushed up from Grade E6 to E3 where is he is substantive Deputy Director of Education and Public Awareness.
Thanks to underhand deals, not a Grade E2 was nominated as acting NEMA boss.
In order to do so, Mr Mamo has been irregularly seconding senior officers to the Ministry of Environment to literally do nothing. That way, he and other juniors have been elevating himself to positions of influence.
A case is even coming on Friday, March 6 in which some of the seconded staff and an NGO have challenged the irregular secondment
What is even serious is that Mr Mamo is said to have forged his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and even KCSE certificates together with the mandatory one of Senior Leadership Development Program (SLDP) only conducted at the Kenya School of Government.
The advertisement for the DG position was even re-done because it cleverly skipped the requirement for SLDP, a key requirement for any officer who wants to run a leadership position in government.
The School of Government Act requires holders of NEMA DG position to have undertaken key courses called SLDP and SMC.
It is not clear why the board appeared to water down the professional and experience requirements of the holder of the position of the DG, NEMA.
It is also not clear how the NEMA board is entertaining Mamo application when the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating him. How has he been cleared?
NEMA board comprises many public servants, contrary to the law.
Mr Mamo is said to be also acting beyond his powers at NEMA. As acting DG, the man has been signing cheques beyond Sh500,000 when he knows the clear threshold.
In order to mismanage the recruitment, CS Keriako Tobiko is said to have personally taken over the recruitment. The Ministry’s HR Officer Rosemary Wamoto is said to have been the one who was doing shortlisting.
Environment CS Mr Keriako Tobiko and NEMA Chairman Mr John Konchellah come from the same County. It is said that the CS has personally spoken to all NEMA directors directing them to highly score Mamo.
The scheme, it is alleged, that Ukur Yattani will then send more funding to NEMA.
The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (Adaptation Fund) worthy Sh1 billion has been mismanaged by NEMA even purporting to procure for partners. As a result, the balance of Sh500 million remains in doubt even as the program comes to an end in 6 months.
But even as Keriako Tobiko does what he does to get the unqualified Mamo on board, his own destiny hangs in the balance.
It is an open secret that he is the most underperforming CS. Indeed, it is rumoured that it is no longer a question of if but when Gideon Moi getting into Cabinet.
Pundits say the younger Moi will take devolution docket currently handled by Eugene Wamalwa. It is either Tobiko or Aden Mohamed who will relinquish their position for Wamalwa.
If you have more information on the unqualified but preferred Mamo B Mamo or NEMA recruitment, please share it
