CS Matiang'i Ordered to Fire NGO Boss Fazul Mahamed

Activist Okiya Omtatah on Friday wrote to Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i demanding the removal of NGO Coordination Board CEO Fazul Mahamed.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Mr Omtatah stated that Mr Fazul's tenure had ended and therefore he was in office illegally.

"Mr Mahamed's three-year tenure as the Executive Director of the NGO Board expires on 23 November 2017 having been appointed on 24 November 2014. However contrary to public policy and the law, instead of proceeding on terminal leave, he remains in active service, and the existing vacancy in the office of the executive director of the NGO Board has not been advertised," he stated.

He also addressed the Attorney General (AG), State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCOC) and the Public Service Commission (PSC) in the letter demanding that they appoint an acting Executive Director in Fazul's place.

[caption caption="NGOs Coordination Board CEO Fazul Mahamed"][/caption]

"We demand that you send Mr. Mahamed on terminal leave with immediate effect from today and commence the process of appointing a new Executive Director of the NGO Board by appointing an acting Executive Director in the transition period, pending the competitive recruitment  and appointment of a substantive replacement strictly according to the law," the letter read in part.

Mr Omtatah added that if the demands were not met he would move to court to have Mr Fazul's position declared vacant.

"Failure to act within 14 days as demanded above will necessitate our recourse, at your risk as to costs and other consequences, to the Employment and Labour Relations Court of Kenya for orders to compel compliance," Mr Omtatah wrote.

He further faulted the NGO boss for being incompetent while performing his duties.

"We also take the opportunity to point out to you that the Government's refusal to operationalize the Public Benefits Organisations Act No. 18 of 2013 has made it impossible for stakeholders to appoint the independent members to the NGO board.

"As a result, Mr Mahamed has singlehandedly mismanaged the affairs of the NGO board without supervision," he stated.

[caption caption="File image of Activist Okiya Omtatah "][/caption]

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