Geothermal company boss put on the spot over job promotions

The State-owned Geothermal Development Company (GDC) has denied MPs’ claims that it restructured its management in a bid to make skewed and illegal appointments to top positions.

Appearing on Thursday before Parliament’s Energy Committee, the GDC managing director Silas Simiyu said the corporation’s board had approved the “harmonisation” of job grades in the agency which resulted in the creation of six positions of general managers.

Dr Simiyu told the Members of Parliament that it is investigating a public petition on the alleged restructuring of the corporation’s management, tendering processes and value for money in GDC’s investments. The “harmonisation” saw chief officers promoted to the rank of general managers.

He said the sole general manager before the harmonisation was implemented was working as a general manager without portfolio.

“The board felt it prudent to appoint the chief officers as general managers. The general manager was without portfolio and specific duties. They were all in the same grade. The harmonisation process has not affected anything because the officers are holding their portfolios, earning same salaries as when they were chief officers and doing same responsibilities. There is no restructuring. These were internal promotions,” he told the committee.

The petition over the hiring of the six managers was raised by Homa Bay residents through Rangwe MP George Oner.

Mr Oner, on behalf of petitioners, also questioned the Sh1.47 billion tender awarded to a private company to move drilling rigs for GDC when the company had spent Sh400 million to procure transport and loading equipment and hired staff for the exercise.

He also sought to know how the private firm was awarded a contract to move one drilling rig at Sh42 million yet the same firm offers similar services to Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) at Sh18 million.

Further, Mr Oner is seeking a value-for-money audit on GDC operations saying it had entered into another contract with  a private firm to provide top-holing  services for the GDC at a cost of Sh4 billion.

“This committee should ensure GDC undergoes a special value-for-money audit to ensure that the public who are paying taxes are getting the right returns for its investment,” he said.

Mr Oner tabled a list of 11 top senior managers whom he said were appointed without due regard to the corporation’s human resources policy that require a person to have held a post for three years and master’s degree on relevant field for one to qualify for promotion.

He also listed six managers who have remained in the same grade for years and who hold higher qualifications than the required master’s degree who have not been considered for promotion.

He gave an example of an officer who was promoted five times in five years to general manager position yet the officer holds a diploma.