RUTO FIRES 27 GOVT EMPLOYEES, SEE LIST

President William Ruto, on Wednesday, May 17, suspended Kenya Bureau of Standards Managing Director, Bernard Njiraini and other state employees at KEBS, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the National Police Service (NPS) among others.

In a press release issued by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, Ruto’s Chief of Staff, Felix Koskei, accused the 27 state employees of releasing condemned sugar unfit for consumption. 

“In recognition of the unique mandate of the agencies as vanguards of public health and safety, it is manifest that some officers in the relevant agencies abdicated their responsibilities, at the risk of public harm.

“Consequently, it is noted that the Cabinet Secretaries for National Treasury and Economic Planning, and Investments, Trade and Industry, have sanctioned administrative action to suspend the officers pending investigations,” Koskei stated. 

According to Koskei, Ruto was briefed on the grievous accusations of the irregular and criminal release of condemned sugar scheduled for conversion into industrial ethanol.

The sugar consignment comprising 20,000 bags (each 50kgs), had been imported into the country in the year 2018 and condemned by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) for want of expiry date specification. R

A multi-agency unit comprising KEBS and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) was to oversee the ethanol conversion.

“The condition precedent to the conversion were; involvement of all the concerned regulatory agencies; sourcing a distiller through an open and competitive tendering process; and securing the payment of applicable taxes and statutory fees.

It has since been established that the consignment was irregularly diverted and unprocedurally released. Further, the conditions relating to open and competitive enlisting of the distiller were breached and the applicable taxes were not paid,” Koskei divulged. 

Ruto ordered the consignment to be reshipped and destroyed at the owner’s cost.

Kenya Bureau of Standards

Lt. Col (Rtd) Bernard Njiraini, the Managing Director 
Dr. Geoffrey Muriira, Director Quality Assurance and Inspection 
Hilda Keror, Manager Inspection, Mombasa Port Office 
Liston Lagat, Assistant Manager, ICDN Nairobi 
Rono Birgen Chief Manager, ICDN Nairobi 
Stephen Owuor, Principal Officer 
Peter Olima Joseph – Inspector, Mombasa,

Kenya Revenue Authority
Joseph Kaguru
Stephen Muiruri
Mwanja Masinde 
Moses Okoth 
Chacha Hondo
Doris Mutembei
Carol Nyagechi Derick Kago

National Police Service
George Mithamo 
Joel Kirui

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
Bernard Ngumbi
Raphael Mwaka

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) 
Oscar Kai
Patrick Magut.

Joseph Maita Mweni (Port Health),
Isacko Bonai (NEMA)
Stephen Cheruiyot (Anti-Counterfeit Agency)
Daniel Ngugi (KEPHIS)
J. Willy Koskei (EACC)
K. Edwin Ruto (KPA)

The suspensions came in the backdrop of sugar prices rising up to Ksh430 for 2 kgs across various supermarkets. 

Ruto also recently suspended former Health Permanent Secretary, Josephine Mburu, over a Ksh3.7 billion mosquito net scandal. The head of state further reshuffled PSs as he stamped authority nine months into his first term. 

Source: Kenyans