Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency CEO Samuel Oruma On The Spot Over Ethnic Profiling And Impunity

Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency (CRVWWDA) CEO Eng Samuel Oruma has come under attack for the manner in which he’s running the water body. Oruma who’s occupying the office controversially is said to acting with absolute impunity and ethnically profiling workers which includes unprocedural dismissal of staff members and targeting a particular community.

Currently, there’s a leadership wrangle at the agency playing out in court. Hosea Wendot the former CEO at the agency claims he was wrongly dismissed Wendot’s contract ended on April 30th, 2021. The Board then appointed Samuel Oruma as the acting C.E.O. The position was advertised on 13th July, 2021. By this time Wendot had been paid his gratuity for the 3 years we served at CRWWDA.

Hosea Wendot the former CEO.

Wendot wants to be reinstated as the substantive C.E.O yet Oruma is serving his 3 year term. Why is this important you ask? CRWWDA manages the water connectivity of more than 5million Kenyans in Central Rift Valley.

Samuel Oruma applied for the C.E.O position and he was successful and is currently the C.E.O. But on 14th February, We don’t obtain d high court orders by Justice H.K Chemitei nullifying the appointment of Oruma.

This is the Agency that supervised the now stalled Itare Dam valued at 40B before the Italian Contractor CMC Do Ravenna filed for bankruptcy in December, 2018. The solution lies with the appointing Authority, the Ministry of Water.

Oruma is being accused of being in contravention of the law by wrongful dismissal and ethnic discrimination.

A number of junior and senior employees have been fired under mysterious circumstances without following the laid down guidelines of the agency as those related to the CEO get employed to fill them without their positions being advertised.

In February the CEO verbally fired Environmental Officer Caroline Langat and drivers Daudi Kipkemei and Robert Ngetich. This week; on May 9 Oruma’s secretary fired Caleb Kimanyim (Human Resources Assistant), Julius Kipkosgei (Water Technician) and Huldah Chepkoech an engineer.

Also shown the door was Daniel Ndegwa who was the former CEO Wendot’s driver, Daniel Labatt (Water Technician) and Victor Chepkuto (Driver). Interestingly all the fired staff were not given one month notices as required by the agency’s human resource laws. They were terminated on May 10 and told to go home.

Additionally, most of these staff were working at the Kiptogot Kolongolo, Ugunja Sega Ukwala water projects and the Olkalou Sewerage projects which are yet to be completed. Their appointment letters had said that their contracts were valid until the completion of the aforesaid projects.

None of these employees were subjected to any disciplinary process before being fired. Interestingly, it appears that the disregard of procedures does not only exist in the way employees are fired at the agency but how they are hired too.

Among those who have been hired this way is the CEO’s brother Geoffrey Saidimu who currently works as a driver at the Chepareria Sewerage Project. Interestingly the project was supposed to be officially complete by July 4, 2022. The CEO’s driver is however still drawing a salary from the project to date.

The CEO also further employed Nancy Sepeko Musanka on 1st August 2021 as Communication Officer (Daughter in Law to CRVWWDA Director Lorna Timanoi) and Jimmy Leyian Nkowua on 1st February 2021 as Assistant Liaison Officer. Jimmy is a son to Lorna Timanoi who is one of the directors of the agency.

In a similar fashion, Raychelle Njambi who is a daughter to Mathenge Ndiritu, one of the directors was hired on the spot upon completion of her internship as a Corporate Communications Assistant on January 3 this year.

The CEO also in his absolute power wrote a letter of secondment of Justus Parsamai Lemein, an Engineer at CRVWWDA under Kilgoris Lolgorian Water Supply Project, in February 2023 to Narok Water and Sanitation Company Limited as an Acting Managing Director.

Curiously, Stephen Kuntayo (Cousin to Patrose Leshinka – 2nd Wife of the CEO and Principal Engineer at CRVWWDA), a Water Technician who resigned in August 2021 from CRVWWDA to accept a job in Kajiado County has in mysterious circumstances returned to the agency as a hydrologist. He was rehired on April 19 for the Bomet Mulot Water Project.

As seen in all these instances, the CEO has taken over the job description and responsibilities of the Human Resource Manager. She has been relegated to being a recipient of letters drafted by the CEO’s sleuths without her knowledge or professional opinion.