ICT CS Eliud Owalo has terminated the contract of Samuel Maina as acting Managing Director at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
Owalo, in a letter dated December 19, accused Maina of committing the government to pay over Ksh770 billion in a case versus Kenya Broadcasting Corporation without seeking the Ministry, National Treasury, and the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice authorisation.
Maina, who also previously served as KBC’s former Editor-in-Chief, was accused of directing the media house to pay the money in an arbitration case filed at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA).
"The appointment of Mr. Samuel Maina as acting Managing Director is terminated with immediate effect.
"Mr. Samuel Maina should proceed on suspension immediately and disciplinary action instituted against him by the Board," Owalo added.
He also appointed Paul Macharia, currently the Communication Economic Expert at the National Communications Secretariat, which falls under the mandate of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, as the Acting Managing Director.
Macharia's term will start with effect from Tuesday, December 19, for six (6) months.
Owalo also ordered the KBC board to expedite the process of recruitment of a substantive Managing Director for the corporation.
Maina, a former Vice-President of the Kenya Editors’ Guild, was appointed as Acting Managing Director (MD) of KBC following the exit of Naim Bilal, whose contract expired on March 19, 2022.
The board, while announcing his appointment stated that he was tasked with ensuring continuity and smooth running of the corporation. However, he was asked to fill the position until a successor was appointed via a competitive process.
“The Board takes this opportunity to thank Dr Naim Bilal for his services at the corporation,” a statement by the board confirmed Maina's appointment.
