By david ochami

Vision 2030 Director General Mugo Kibati's position is now facing serious challenge, only weeks after two other senior officers in key institutions were removed from office.

Concern has been raised over the process of his appointment to head the Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (VDS) in 2009 without going through an interview. And on Monday, Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) went to court seeking the revocation of his appointment. The move to challenge Kibati's position comes hot on the heels of cases that saw Kenya Bureau of Standards MD Joseph Koskey and Communications Commission of Kenya Director General Charles Njoroge Waweru exit office for being hired irregularly.

Vision 2030 Director General Mugo Kibati during a past function. Vision 2030 is a development plan covering the period 2008 to 2030. It is a far-sighted national development strategy to transform Kenya into a rapidly industrialising middle-income nation in the next two decades. It co-ordinates Government economic policies, including regional and international cooperation policies and is also involved in preparation of the planning components of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, the Fiscal Strategy Paper and requisite budget documents for various projects.

Kibati has admitted that he did not apply for the job because he was not initially "interested in working for the Government." When The Standard spoke to Kibati on Friday, he claimed that he only took the position because "they convinced me to take up the job," apparently referring to Planning PS Edward Sambili who in a letter dated June 4, 2009 recommended Kibati's appointment to Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura.

But the controversy about Kibati's recruitment also extends to his salary. By some accounts, he once earned Sh1.48 million in one month against Sh730,000 approved by the VDS in December 2008 and Sh750,000 recommended by Public Service PS Titus Ndambuki mid last year. According to reports from the secretariat, efforts to oust Kibati received a boost following the August sacking of Kebs boss Koskey.

Rejected by board

Koskey was kicked out by Acting Industrialisation Minister Amason Kingi following a split in the Kebs board that had partially rejected his recruitment by suspended Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey. Now disaffected colleagues of Kibati's at VDS argue that his employment raises similar issues to Koskey's, alleging that Kibati's recruitment was not competitive. The Standard has documents showing recruitment of key employees to the VDS was done in mid June 2009 by the VDS Board and a panel of PSs.

Two phases of interviews were done and no one qualified, according to Dr Sambili's letter to Muthaura. A memo by Dr Sambili (dated December 19, 2008) to Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya shows that 59 applications were received for the post of director general with Messrs Kapkirwok R Jason, Julius Gatune Kariuki, Dickson Khainga, Dr Wahome Gakuru, Antony Kilele and Dr Gachau Kiuna recommended for the post.

In his letter, Sambili indicated that Dr Kiuna scored 80 per cent, followed by Khainga with 62 per cent and Kapkirwok with 56 per cent. The PS then recommended that "the best overall candidate be offered the job", adding that Dr Kiuna was the most suitable for the post. Mr Judah Abekah was recommended for the post of Director (Enablers and Macro), Mr Gituro Wainaina for Director of the Social and Political Pillars of Vision 2030 goals and Mr Andrew Toboso for Director of Strategy, Marketing and Communication.

The chain of events from here is not clear but Sambili later wrote to Muthaura, disclosing that the initial list was disregarded giving rise to fresh advertisement and interviews on May 19, 2009. A part of the letter reads: "A total of six candidates were interviewed. This was the second time we were conducting the interviews for the same position (of director general)."

Sambili alleges that none of the candidates "interviewed the first time qualified for the position" and asserts that he was not impressed by the outcome of the second interview, either, which saw the immediate former Gwassi MP Zaddock Syong'oh emerge as the best. According to tallies disclosed by Sambili, Syong'oh received 71 per cent from the panel of interviewers. Mr Kithinji Kiragu was given 65.4 per cent, Mr Julius Gatune Kariuki, 63 per cent while Dr Mohamed Omar Mohamud was rated at 58.4 per cent.

The memo also shows that Dr Rosa Muraguri Mwololo scored 54.1 per cent while Ms Salma Mazrui was awarded 54 per cent. In Sambili's memo, "None of the candidates emerged as outstanding and ready to take up the position of Director General of Vision 2030." He then went ahead to make a suggestion.

"In view of this and further to your discussion with my minister, I hereby forward to you these names â€" Mugo Kibati, Sam Mwale, Betty Maina and Stephen Wainana for fresh consideration and possible appointment by the president." Sambili did not answer his cell-phone when contacted by The Standard but Kibati was willing to discuss how his salary was arrived at.

Negotiated salary

"I just negotiated mine (salary) with the Government," he said, and added that when he was approached to take the job "I was made aware that such negotiations take place."

The Standard has received a payment voucher for July 2009 indicating that a Mr Paul Christopher Mugo Kibati was entitled to a gross payment of Sh1.48million. This included a salary for Sh960,000, Sh170,000 for house allowance and Sh300,000 in entertainment and extraneous allowances. However Sh437,000 was to be deducted as Pay As You Earn leaving a net pay of Sh1.041 million.

The VDS Board recommended a monthly pay of Sh730,000, including Sh430,000 in basic pay, Sh80,0000 for house allowance and Sh220,000 of extraneous allowance for the position. And a letter to a Mugo by Ndambuki dated July 16 last year discloses that after "necessary consultations and taking into account the mandate of Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat" it had been decided that the director general would earn Sh750,000, which included a basic salary of Sh500,000, Sh90,000 in house allowance and Sh160,000 of entertainment and extraneous allowance.

In his letter, Ndambuki said that all staff at the secretariat "should be recruited competitively" and added that there would be no alteration to basic pay for the term of contract given any employee. The Standard, however, was unable to establish how much Kibati earns.