Commission For Human Rights Questions Coast Water CEO Recruitment Exercise

• The Commission for Human Rights and Justice (CHRJ) claimed that the selection process leading to the appointment of the chief executive was flawed
• For instance, in a statement to media houses, the lobby group alleged that there was no handing over of office to the new appointees
• As a result, the CHRJ demanded the process of selection and recruitment of the said position be halted

The Commission for Human Rights and Justice (CHRJ) has poked holes in the recruitment process of the new Coast Water Works Development Agency (CWWDA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

TUKO.co.ke understands that there was an advertisement on the CWWDA website for a vacancy in the office of the CEO at its headquarters in Mombasa.

Opaque recruitment process?

However, CHRJ claimed that the selection process leading to the appointment of the chief executive was flawed, opaque and contravening the constitutional tenets of fairness, equality, transparency, non-discrimination and public participation.

For instance, in a statement to media houses, the lobby group alleged that there was no handing over of office to the new appointees after the revocation of the board members via gazette notice number 1137 on February 1, 2023.

The group also argued that the leakage of the milestone of the CWWDA CEO implied that the process would not be free and fair.

CHRJ further alleged that the interviews for the said position were conducted in a North Coast Hotel, where there were allegations of canvassing by different interested parties.

Also, the group said the disclosure of the ADHOC Committee Meeting for the position of CWWDA/22022- 2023/3 deliberated on February 6, agenda item number three- shortlisting of candidates for the position of CWWDA CEO- presented by Mary Okioma and Deputy Director of Legal is a clear indication that the selection would not be a free, fair and competitive process.

As a result, the CHRJ demanded the process of selection and recruitment of the said position be halted and thorough investigations be conducted.

The lobby group further demanded the re-advertisement of the said vacancy.

"It is in its mandate to which it hereby does demand for a free, fair and transparent process to be followed in the recruitment process and for all qualified Kenyan citizens to be accorded equal opportunity to apply and get the said position and for the selection criteria and process to be based on merit and in accordance with the constitutional and statutory guidelines," CHRJ said in a statement.

The lobby group vowed to file a petition against the agency if their demands would not be heeded.

Efforts by TUKO.co.ke to reach CWWDA for a comment were futile.