Board Fires Rtd Brigadier Joseph Muracia After Ruto Appointed Him as Nairobi Rivers Commission CEO

Ruto
President William Ruto being received by a senior military officer at a past event.
Photo
PSC

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, Brigadier (Rtd) Joseph Muracia, was on Tuesday, January 14, fired from his position after a high-stakes board meeting

In the meeting chaired by former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, a unanimous decision was reached following allegations of gross misconduct leveled against the CEO.

Muracia had been appointed to the position by President William Ruto who had earlier established the Commission in 2022. The retired KDF soldier had been tasked with overseeing the restoration of the Nairobi River.

The board accused him of exploiting organizational gaps to misappropriate resources, among other allegations.

Brigadier Joseph Muracia during a meeting with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday May 25, 2023
Brigadier Joseph Muracia during a meeting with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday May 25, 2023.
DPPS

An audit conducted in the financial year 2023/2024 revealed severe financial mismanagement under his leadership, with over Ksh150 million lost.

The audit showed that goods worth Ksh20,234,474 were delivered without proper procurement processes. Additionally, some of the goods supplied were overpriced by 150 per cent - 260 per cent.

The board also established that documentation for purchased goods was missing, raising questions about the transparency of the procurement process.

The Commission established through a Gazette Notice Number 14891, is mandated with cleaning and rehabilitating Nairobi's rivers and streams.

The former retired brigadier claimed to have employed 20,000 Climate Worx workers, many of whom were reportedly found to be ghost employees.

Further, the board found out that the Ksh200 million allowance allocation for the Climate Worx Initiative was significantly mismanaged and some of the money unaccounted for.

Muracia was also accused of nepotism, hiring family members and prioritising their salaries. Reports further claimed that he displayed insubordination and high-handedness towards commissioners, often using harsh language and victimization of his juniors. Kenyans.co.ke could not, however, independently verify these claims.

The government, on the other hand, has pledged to investigate the issue further and repossess lost funds to prevent future mismanagement.

Previously, Ruto promised to ensure that the Nairobi River was cleaned up and restored to its former conditions. To hasten the cleaning up of the Nairobi River, Ruto launched the Climate WorX Mtaani in September 2024 which would see 10,000 youth employed.

Climate WorX Mtaani was founded to revolutionize urban areas by eliminating illegal dumping and the discharge of waste while fostering sustainable neighborhoods.

Undated photo of social workers cleaning Nairobi River
Undated photo of social workers cleaning Nairobi River
File
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