The National Irrigation Authority chief executive officer Charles Muasya is blamed for playing politics in awarding tenders at the parastatal without due process of the laid down procedures.
Weekly Citizen has established that Muasya has fallen prey to powerful State House barons who dictate to him and influence tender awards without following due diligence.
A brief we have is that Muasya is a slave of the said cartel, mostly politicians from Rift Valley whose order is which firm will land which tender and the bill of quantities to be quoted.
Apart from politicians, Muasya is also said to award tenders based on sex exploits commonly now known as “tender for sex at Nia”.
One lady commonly known for her closeness to the CEO is calling the shots and bagging lucrative deals and tenders. She allegedly receives kickbacks on behalf of the CEO.
Sources say Muasya style of leadership and management has put him on a collision course with other managers, mostly old guards who feel sidelined.
They were close to former CEO Gitonga Mugambi now principal secretary department of forestry in the ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry.
When William Ruto took power, Mugambi was CEO Nia. It was due to then Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi that he was named PS State Department of Irrigation.
While at NIA, Gitonga had helped those in Jubilee side of Ruto, then deputy president to land mega tenders.
Mugambi was to be rewarded with a PS slot. Sources say Linturi troubles saw Mugambi moved from irrigation to be succeeded by Ephantus Kimotho as PS.
Muasya is at war with Daniel Atula- deputy general manager corporate affairs, Jairus Serende – director irrigation, Joseph Kiragu – deputy director irrigation infrastructure development services and Florence Ndai director planning and strategy.
Muasya has sidelined Atula in key issues preferring his own team.
The manner in which tenders are awarded has seen Evelyn Akoth – assistant director supply chain management and Loise Kahiga – director irrigation management services raise eyebrows.
Complaints in the procurement department is that the CEO is everything.
Further, it is said that board member Ubah Kahiye has been harassing those in procurement to award tenders to certain companies in suspicious circumstances.
Kahiye commonly referred to as, UK by Nia staff is a feared face and what she wants, including payments she chases, are done at the spur of the moment and immediately.
Managers the CEO is in bed with include Jyanne Okello the corporate secretary who perfects tender and contract signing and of course, Jedidah Oduori deputy director finance and accounts.
Dan Opiyo is the CEO spanner boy internal auditor. To control the board, Muasya has allocated them tender awards done by proxies although the chairman, Gilbert Maluki benefits most.
Maluki also has a slay queen controlling his operations at Nia. In private, the CEO and Maluki boast to dress sharply compared to other board members.
The board has Mary Mwiti, George Githae, Daniel Odero, Kahiye, Samuel Alima, Laban Kiplagat, Samuel Onyango, Victor Momanyi, Maluki and of course, the CEO himself. Kiplagat who is alternate PS State Department for Crop Development, is the Kalenjin mafia blue-eyed boy sitting on the board.
Weekly Citizen has been told that Kahiye pushes for Somali interests at Nia.
According to sources, any Somali who is out to get plum tenders has to go through her and the CEO knows.
At Nia Somalis are slowly making inroads with Kalenjins in the procurement department.
As the only female director on the board, Kahiye is respected but her underworld dealings at Nia has raised queries about her muslim faith that abhors haramu (bribes).
Some of the controversial tenders awarded according to our insider are MWSI/SDI/ONT/018/2024-2025 Ketut Mokoro Irrigation Project, MWSI/SDI/ONT/021/2024-2025 Ugoti Marega Irrigation Project, MWSI/SDI/ONT/016/2024-2025 Lari Escarpment Belt Irrigation Project, MWSI/SDI/ONT/020/2024-2025 Amboseli Irrigation Water Project, MWSI/SDI/ONT/017/2024-2025 Adich Gorge Dam Irrigation Project and MWSI/SDI/ONT/019/2024-2025 Nyamaji Irrigation Project Drawings whose submission dateline was May 2, 2025.
There is intense lobbying for renders which include NIA/T/184/2024-2025 consultancy services for detailed design review and construction supervision of Athi Dam Project, Kilifi county whose submission deadline is (tomorrow) July 8 2025, consultancy for services for detailed design review and construction supervision of Athi dam irrigation and food security project Kitui and Taita Taveta counties, Tender No Nia/T/184/2024-2025 issued on June 13 2025 while submission deadline was June 20 2025 among others.
According to our source,the advertisement of the said tenders is just a formality as they have been lobbied and already awarded.
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