Why engineers want Jumwa's Roads Board appointment revoked

Ruto appointed the ex-CS as non-executive chair of the Kenya Roads Board on January 17

by EMMANUEL WANJALA

Realtime27 January 2025 - 20:55

In Summary

The Engineers Board says the appointee should have been picked from nominees picked by members of five specific organisations as their representative.
EBK said the appointment of an engineering professional with a background in civil, structural, or transport engineering would provide essential expertise in handling the technical aspects of the board's responsibilities.

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya has called for the revocation of the appointment of former Gender CS Aisha Jumwa as non-executive chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board.

President William Ruto appointed the former Malindi MP to the position on January 17.

But in a statement on Monday, January 27, IEK president Eng Shammah Kiteme said the appointment violates the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) Act.

He said pursuant the First Schedule of the Act, a non-executive chairperson of the KRB is to be appointed by the President from among nominees picked by members of five specific organisations as their representative to the board.

He said the five organisations entitled to nominate members to the KRB board are the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, the Automobile Association of Kenya, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya and the Kenya Transport Association.

"However, Hon Aisha Jumwa Katana does not represent any of these organisations, raising questions about the adherence to statutory provisions in her appointment," Kiteme said.

The KRB is heavily involved in engineering work, such as overseeing the condition of roads, advising on road construction standards, and ensuring that projects are carried out effectively from a technical standpoint.

Kiteme said the appointment of an engineering professional with a background in civil, structural, or transport engineering would provide essential expertise in handling the technical aspects of the board's responsibilities.

He adds that an appointment of a KRB board chairperson with the relevant hands-on technical requirement would not only strengthen board's capacity to address engineering and infrastructure challenges, but also aligns with its legal framework.

"As highlighted, the current appointment of Hon. Aisha Jumwa Katana does not appear to be in accordance with the KRB Act, specifically in terms of the appointment process. We therefore call for immediate revocation of the appointment of Hon Aisha Jumwa Katana as KRB chair and the appointment of a suitably qualified chair in compliance with the law," Kiteme said.