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How staff sackings triggered suspension of Kenya Re boss
Kenya Reinsurance (Kenya Re) Corporation Limited Group Managing Director Dr Hillary Wachinga addressing participants during the launch of Kenya Re’s International Life Reinsurance Operations into global markets at Reinsurance Plaza in Nairobi on February 26, 2025.
The Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re) board suspended managing director Hillary Wachinga for about two months over allegations that he had unprocedurally dismissed two employees, setting off a disciplinary process that later spilt into court.
The controversy is detailed in an Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling delivered last Thursday, in which Dr Wachinga’s case against Kenya Re was formally withdrawn following his own notice to terminate proceedings.
The withdrawal of the court case effectively ended the court battle. Sources told this publication that Dr Wachinga would be back in office next week amid a growing delicate balance between board oversight and independence of the management among State-controlled firms.
Dr Wachinga had moved to court on September 22, 2025, accusing Kenya Re of violating his constitutional rights through a disciplinary process that he said was “in bad faith” and risked violating his rights to “fair hearing, fair labour practices and fair administrative action.”
In his court filings, Dr Wachinga argued that he had received two letters — a suspension letter dated September 2, 2025 and a show-cause letter dated September 3, 2025 — which he described as contradictory.
Dr Wachinga told the court that one letter indicated that investigations were to be carried out, while the other initiated disciplinary proceedings against him.
He claimed that the disciplinary process did not conform to the reinsurer’s human resources policies, given that he had not been given access to the investigation report and had been summoned to a disciplinary hearing before he could adequately respond.
Kenya Re is 60 percent owned by the government.
On those grounds, Dr Wachinga sought a temporary injunction restraining Kenya Re from proceeding with the intended disciplinary hearing against him or “interfering in any way” with his continued employment. The disciplinary hearing had been scheduled for September 23.
Kenya Re’s response
Kenya Re’s replying affidavit filed on October 6, 2025, alleged that Mr Wachinga had been suspended for overstepping his authority in the handling of a disciplinary matter involving two of the reinsurer’s staff.
According to the affidavit, the issue began in April 2025, when a report by Dr Wachinga led to the commencement of disciplinary proceedings against two employees.
Court papers show Kenya Re board then tasked the CEO to “conduct investigations and report to the board within 72 hours but failed to do so.”
Dr Wachinga was reminded on August 1 to continue with the investigations and report back.
“[Instead], the claimant (Dr Wachinga) made a recommendation to terminate the two employees before they had responded. The claimant gave instructions for the termination of the two employees’ contracts without involving the board,” reads the court papers.
The company told the court it was those actions that prompted the board to initiate disciplinary action against Dr Wachinga on September 2, 2025, for “not complying with its instructions.”
Dr Wachinga had been invited to a disciplinary hearing slated for September 23, 2025. However, the session did not proceed after the court issued a temporary freeze following Dr Wachinga’s application.
Court records show that both parties filed submissions — Dr Wachinga on September 24 and the reinsurer on October 6.
The case was scheduled for a ruling on October 23, after a mention hearing on October 7. However, before the court could pronounce itself on whether the disciplinary process should proceed, Dr Wachinga filed a notice to withdraw the entire case.
“In light of the notice of withdrawal dated and filed in court on 8 October 2025, the court marks the cause as withdrawn,” reads the ruling dated October 23, 2025.
