By Lewis Njoka.
Outgoing Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Director-General Francis Wangusi has vowed not hand over to the new official appointed yesterday in an acting capacity.
He said the current board is not lawfully constituted and cannot purport to appoint his replacement.
People Daily’s ‘Business Hub’ has established that Wangusi, who was absent during the announcement, has no plans to hand over to the new appointee and intends to continue discharging his duties until a legally constituted board names his successor.
The board announced the appointment of Mercy Wanjau, CA’s Director of Legal Services , as the acting Director General and DG of the communications regulator yesterday morning.
It made the appointment despite a court directive issued earlier this month allowing Wangusi to stay in office past his contract which lapsed yesterday, pending the determination of a case filed by Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek).
In court documents, Cofek claims CA has purported to illegally conduct the recruitment of director general without a legitimate board contrary to the law.
The tenure of the current 13-member CA board expired on April 29 this year, hence, Cofek terming it illegal.
In May this year, the court blocked ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru from appointing new members to the board, following a successful petition filed by activist Okiya Omtatah.
Announcing the change at the authority’s Nairobi Offices, CA Chairman Ngene Gituku, said Wanjau’s appointment followed extensive consultations.
“The appointment, that takes effect immediately, has been made following extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders to ensure that CA continues discharging its regulatory mandate seamlessly,” Gituku said.
“Given the strategic responsibilities vested in the authority we are committed to ensuring that there is no leadership vacuum and that we deliver on our vision of a digitally transformed nation,” he added.
Despite the frosty relations between Wangusi and the CA board, Gituku described him as a transformative leader who had achieved a lot in the over 15 years he had served CA in various positions.
