MCAs finger Water CEC for meddling in Ewasco operations

 The County Assembly of Embu has warned the County Executive against interfering with the affairs of the Embu Water and Sanitation Company (EWASCO).

 

Ward Representatives fingered County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Water Jane Ndegi for interfering and meddling with the operations of EWASCO, consequently causing management wrangles that have in the past paralysed operations of the water supplying company.

MCAs blamed the fallout pitting EWASCO staff against the Board of Management on a cartel of incompetent senior company operatives with political ambitions, who are plotting a massive corruption scheme that might see millions of taxpayers’ funds looted from the water supplier’s accounts as their contracts expire in 2022.

According to recommendations in a report by the Lands and Water Committee, the Assembly directed that the Board of Directors immediately removes CPA. Dickson Njiru as acting Managing Director and reinstates the wrongfully suspended MD. Eng. Felix G. Mutuura and ensure that he performs his duties and responsibilities without interference.

The Assembly, in the report tabled by Nthawa MCA Nathan Mwari further ordered the Management of EWASCO to conduct a Human Resource Audit within sixty days after the adoption of the report and decreed that the Human Resource Manager Mary Mugwira steps aside to pave way for the said audit.

Disciplinary

In addition, the Assembly demanded that the Managing Director, with immediate effect, ensures that the Human Resource Manager faces disciplinary charges as per section 7(13) of the EWASCO Human Resource and Procedures Manual, 2021 for insubordination, causing unnecessary conflict in the company, refusal to adhere to lawful instructions from her senior and blocking Human Resource audit sanctioned by the Board of Management.

Members of the County Assembly Water Committee observed that the County Government, particularly, the CEC member in charge Water was meddlesome with the operations of EWASCO by not respecting the semi-autonomy of the company as enshrined in existing laws and coercing the Chairman of the Board of directors to reverse transfers of senior personnel.

While adopting the report, MCAs unanimously concurred that EWASCO was facing management wrangles stemming from power struggles by people trying to manage the millions that the water supplying company collects as levies from water consumers. The Assembly fell short of recommending removal of EWASCO directors due to a pending court case challenging their qualifications.

The MCAs also complained that the EWASCO had been unwilling to supply water to the Mbeere region of the county despite numerous petitions by residents and adequate budgetary allocation by the County Assembly in successive years after the advent of devolution.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI