A fresh storm is brewing at the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) after an applicant Anthony Wamukota has been name-dropping, ilegally using The Speakers name to intimidate the board.
The degree-less job seeker, Mr. Wamukota, who is reportedly the hidden hand behind the Consumer Federation of Kenya’s (COFEK) legal push to scrap the requirement for a master’s degree for the top job.
In an exclusive interview, sources close to Wamukota revealed he is desperate to short-circuit the recruitment process for the new CEO and has enlisted COFEK to fight his corner, arguing the requirement for a master’s degree is “illegal”.
“I Have Connections”
Wamukota has been loudly boasting in local pubs that he doesn’t need a master’s because he has something better: powerful political godfathers. In a boastful rant at a hidden joint last week, Wamukota defiantly declared:
“Do you know who my backers are? I have paid my dues. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Wetang’ula and Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi are my shield! These two powerful men will defend me to get this CEO job. What is a master’s degree compared to such power?”
Insiders confirm Wamukota has been dragging the names of Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi to intimidate those questioning his academic credentials. The two powerful politicians barely know him and he is using their names at random. According to a source at the centre, a deal was allegedly “facilitated” by the two leaders, and Wamukota is furious that a “small qualification” might block his path. “He keeps saying even without a degree, Wetang’ula and Mudavadi will fix it,” the source said.
COFEK’s Legal Gambit
COFEK has formally moved to the High Court seeking to suspend the entire recruitment exercise, arguing that listing a master’s degree and 15 years of experience as requirements “exceeds what is provided for under the Government Owned Enterprises Act”. COFEK Secretary-General Stephen Mutoro argues that the recruitment is “constitutionally tainted,” a legal avenue observers say is being used to sanitise a pre-determined appointment.
Political Pressure Cooker
The case is a direct test of Kenya’s hiring laws against powerful political influence. With Wamukota openly claiming that Mudavadi and Wetang’ula will overrule the law in his favour, pressure is mounting on the two leaders to disown the embattled candidate.
As of press time, neither Speaker Wetang’ula nor Prime CS Mudavadi had responded to our queries regarding Wamukota’s explosive allegations, with their aides claiming they were “unavailable for comment.” The court is now the last line of defence to see whether KETRACO hires a qualified CEO or if the power of influential names derails the entire process.
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