The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) board on Friday sent Director-General Francis Wangusi on compulsory leave pending investigations into allegations of gross misconduct.
The board cited issues raised about staff promotion and training at the industry regulator as the reason behind the move.
A meeting convened by board Chairman Ngene Kariuki on Friday evening resolved to send Wangusi home while they look into concerns reportedly raised by the Human Resource (HR) Department.
An official statement on the matter has, however, not yet been released by CA.
Wangusi took over CA in 2012, beginning a stint that saw him get in the crosshairs of several industry players.
He oversaw the mandatory migration to digital platforms by all of Kenya's television stations.
[caption caption="Francis Wangusi at a past CA event"]
[/caption]
Media owners put up a unified front as they battled the decision, taking CA to court in 2014.
Their case, however, failed and they were forced to migrate to the digital platform.
There has also been some controversy surrounding the awarding of licences to players in the telecommunications industry, with claims from some quarters that the process was skewed.
In December last year, the High Court quashed CA's demand of Sh2 Billion from Airtel Kenya as frequency spectrum fees.
Justice George Odunga further issued an order to prohibit the CA by itself, agents, employees or whosoever from taking any action against Airtel to enforce their demand for the money.
Mr Wangusi was appointed for another four-year term in 2015, but will now have to stay out of office as investigations are carried out into the alleged malpractices.
[caption caption="Director-General Francis Wangusi at a past media briefing"]
[/caption]
