The immediate former Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Chief Executive Officer, Ezekiel Mutua, broke his silence after being dismissed on Friday, August 6.
In a tweet, on Saturday, August 7, Mutua thanked his family and friends for their prayers and words of encouragement following his forced exit from the government agency.
Mutua further stated that he was not in a position to respond to all the messages from people curious about his exit.
His exit from KFCB was confirmed by Cabinet Secretary for Information Communication Technology (ICT), Joe Mucheru, who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke on Friday.
Mucheru said Mutua's role as the Chief Executive Officer of the parastatal comes to an end on Friday, August 6.
Effectively, the CS appointed Communications Authority of Kenya's (CAK) Director of Communications and External Affairs, Christopher Wambua, as the new CEO. Wambua would act in a temporary capacity.
According to reports by the Standard, CS Mucheru had instructed KFCB to appoint an acting CEO and take immediate administrative measures necessary for Mutua to proceed on terminal leave, pending his retirement on October 25, 2021.
The CS reportedly faulted Mutua and the KFCB board’s chairperson for asking an Inspector General of State Corporations to leave during the board’s meeting on June 30 which is against the State Corporation Act.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) also launched a probe after Mutua was accused of receiving irregular payments in terms of salaries and allowances. In the statement dated May 6, EACC stated that a board member, Ms Gathoni Kungu, was also under investigation.
KFCB was asked to provide personal files of the two officials, all payments of salaries and allowances including payslips and payment vouchers, human resource policy and procedures manual guiding the increment of salaries and allowances.
A confidential letter addressed to CS Mucheru leaked online on July 23, 2021, exposing boardroom wrangles at the KFCB.
The letter marked as "confidential" seen by Kenyans.co.ke, indicated that any decision made towards the renewal of Mutua's contract for a third term, was illegal and void.
