Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has terminate the contract of Samuel Maina, the acting Managing Director at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
In a letter dated December 19, Owalo accused Maina of unilaterally committing the government to pay over Ksh750 billion in a case involving KBC, without obtaining authorization from the Ministry, National Treasury, and the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice.
The termination, effective immediately, comes as a result of Maina’s alleged directive to pay the substantial amount in an arbitration case filed at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA).
“The appointment of Mr. Samuel Maina as acting Managing Director is terminated with immediate effect. Mr. Samuel Maina should proceed on suspension immediately, and disciplinary action instituted against him by the Board,” Owalo stated,
The CS has appointed Paul Macharia, the current Communication Economic Expert at the National Communications Secretariat under the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, as the Acting Managing Director.
Macharia’s term commences today, December 19, and extend for a period of six (6) months.
Furthermore, Owalo has directed the KBC board to expedite the recruitment process for a substantive Managing Director for the corporation.
Samuel Maina, a former Vice-President of the Kenya Editors’ Guild, assumed the role of Acting Managing Director at KBC following the expiration of Naim Bilal’s contract on March 19, 2022.
The board, during the announcement of his appointment, had emphasized his role in ensuring continuity and the smooth running of the corporation, with the understanding that he would serve until a successor was appointed through a competitive process.
