A recent staff meeting at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis reportedly turned chaotic after embattled CEO Rose Ngugi resorted to directing tirades at her tribesmen in the troubled government agency. According to sources, Ngugi accused members of staff from her community of failure to insulate her from perceived enemies who are causing her sleepless nights as she struggles to have her contract extended.
Ngugi has embarked on an overdrive mode to balkanise the institution along tribal lines and whip up ethnic support from her community to salvage her regime described as tyrannical.
It is also reported that during the tense meeting, she accused her own staff of having hatred towards her own community. Many are now wondering why the CEO was quick to attribute the institution’s troubles to community matters yet it is her own lack of leadership skills that has led to the current sorry state at the agency. Reportedly, she spent two hours lecturing staff on why hatred towards her community will not make her panic. She is said to be having a soft spot on William Ruto and those privy to her operations believe that she will be rewarded a lucrative position in the event Ruto becomes the next head of state.
Members of staff at the said meeting were, however, bewildered at her move to resort to tribal vitriol yet it was not her community on trial but her questionable leadership style. Research assistants and interns were left shocked at the utterances that were coming from their CEO who accused some of them of being moles in the institution since they are being used to give information on her mismanagement to the press. Those opposed to Ngugi’s leadership state that when she came to Kippra in January 2017, she bullied, openly disrespected and through intimidation forced out Dickson Khainga, Jacob Chege, Augustus Muluvi and Naomi Mathenge.
Others that reportedly faced frustrations in her hands are Bernaddette Wanjala, Hellen Hoka, Christopher Onyango, Simon Githuku, Hannah Wangombe and Soloman Aswani who was sacked for questioning illegal payments on the partitioning of the sixth floor. Also in the list are Manasseh Oiro who was reportedly forced out after he mobilised staff to join the union, Joyce Lisanza, principal human resource manager who eventually opted to resign in protest of Ngugi’s perceived blatant violation of Public Service Commission values and employment Act.
The long list also has the names of Nyakenego Mogeni, a senior accountant who resigned after refusing to rubber-stamp alleged corrupt payments, Andrew Olando, Phares Mugo who was sacked after he fell into depression due to illness and loss of parents, Caroline Gikunda, Jennifer Kimani, Violet Odongo who resigned after becoming uncomfortable with corrupt dealings in supply chain management and Evelyn Onyango. According to our source, Onyango’s contract was terminated prematurely midway after she refused to be used by Ngugi to spy on staff.The tribal wedge Ngugi is creating now is seen to be akin to the proverbial kicks of a dying horse aimed at whipping emotions and sympathy yet the path towards her downfall is alleged to be self-made.
Her accusers say that they have documented overtime in detail her transgressions and violations perpetrated by her cronies and relatives who are unfortunately from her tribe by design or default. They further claim that her utterances and actions of late should be of the interest to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission since it amounts to hate speech not permissible in a public institution. Inside sources also aver that Ngugi has a weird attitude that has crippled operations in all departments and vested powers in her office. For example, she killed the programme coordinators office and ensured that all research departments have her cronies as action head of departments.
She is said to be micromanaging research activities in all departments to ensure that staff opposed to her tyrannical regime have stagnated since she has to give nod before the paper is published. The CEO is accused of defacing the young professional’s programme which she instead placed under her office and departments where the trainees are domiciled have no say in the research activities. The irate members of staff complain that Ngugi loathes being corrected and does not entertain divergent views in her management. Reportedly, this has made her run into conflicts with senior researchers opposed to her management said to be thriving on rumours, innuendoes and corridor gossip.
Currently, there is no team work at the institute courtesy of her lone ranger style of leadership. The embattled CEO is said to be so insecure to an extent that she has taken the whole wing of office to herself and the legal department led by one Caroline Mukiira. Mukiira’s only achievement is said to be carrying flies for board members as employee rights are violated right under her nose. Weekly Citizen is informed that auditors from the state department of planning are auditing management of personnel at the institute. Our sources talk of how the CEO coached her management on what to tell the auditors but this leaked to the auditors.Ngugi later lashed out at a senior librarian for betraying the course, terming her a rat.
In response to our previous expose concerning Ngugi’s disdain and refusal to employ young professionals the institute trains, she has reportedly changed tact. She has reportedly instructed the recruiting agency associated with her cronies to shortlist young professionals in departments they have little expertise in so as to give her preferred candidates an easy ride. Members of staff at the troubled public institution have their hopes in the current audit being finalised as the only way to streamline operations at the institute and restore the lost glory at Kippra. According to those in the know, this help has not been forthcoming considering how Ngugi allegedly pocketed the outgoing and unpopular board.
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