Probe Into NTSA Recruitment Scandal Stalls as Rogue EACC, DCI Officials Solicit Bribes to Sweep Evidence Under the Rug
It has now been weeks since a whistleblower exposed serious allegations of corruption and fraudulent activities surrounding the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) internal job recruitment process.
Despite the magnitude of these claims, there has been conspicuously little action or acknowledgment from the investigative and oversight bodies entrusted with upholding transparency in public service employment.
To recap, the whistleblower who came forward disclosed that the outcomes of job interviews scheduled for 12th and 13th November were already determined before the interviews even began.
The purported positions, including key managerial roles such as Deputy Director – Licensing, Manager – Driver Training and Manager – Motor Vehicle Inspection were allegedly reserved for those with strong connections to NTSA’s upper management.
The whistleblower claims that internal-only job advertisements were a tactic to block external candidates and further deepen the corruption network within the authority.
Multiple figures are reportedly involved in this corrupt scheme.
The whistleblower identified Eva Nyawira M. as the pre-selected candidate for the Deputy Director – Licensing position Lucy Muthoni Mulaa for Manager – Driver Training and Testing and Maryanne Munyao for Manager – Motor Vehicle Inspection.
Other roles such as Francis Oduor for Manager – HR and Administration, June Irungu for Manager – ICT Business Systems and Projects, Collins Kien for Manager – Registration, Moses Murigu for Manager – Internal Audit, and Ogeto for Manager – Safety Audits and Inspection, were also allegedly pre-determined.
The whistleblower noted that NTSA Director General George Njao manipulated the process by ensuring that the Deputy Director – Licensing position, which should have been advertised externally, was instead kept internal to prevent competition.
Paul Posho, a member of the NTSA board and chairperson of the Finance, Human Resource and Strategy Committee, is said to have used his position to unfairly push for the promotion of Lucy Muthoni Mulaa in a clear violation of policy.
All these candidates, the whistleblower claimed, were either directly promoted through favouritism or forced to pay bribes in exchange for their appointments.
The internal advertisements were a mere facade designed to mask the corrupt dealings happening within NTSA.
This network of corruption, driven by board members, directors and senior officials has reportedly demoralized NTSA staff many of whom were openly told that the positions were already reserved for specific candidates.
Staff are said to be demoralized and livid, with many fearing for their careers as a result of the blatant favouritism being displayed by management.
Whispers of retaliation against whistleblowers and anyone challenging the status quo are growing louder by the day.
Sources within NTSA have alleged that some employees are now being “targeted” for small mistakes or even being left out of key projects in a thinly veiled attempt to silence dissent.
It is reported that junior staff have been told, point-blank, that their chances of career advancement are slim unless they are “willing to play along” with the corrupt system.
Morale within the agency is at an all-time low, with employees saying they feel powerless and voiceless in the face of entrenched corruption.
Some staff members have even gone so far as to leak more information, fearing that the lack of action from oversight bodies will only embolden those responsible.
They say it is very frustrating that since the report was first published, there has been a noticeable lack of movement on this case.
Various agencies, including the EACC, DCI, Public Service Commission have not demonstrated any clear steps have been taken to investigate or intervene in the ongoing situation.
There are reports that some of the investigators tasked with handling the case have, instead of pursuing justice, aligned themselves with the very officials they were meant to investigate.
It is said that certain agents within EACC have been soliciting bribes from NTSA operatives in exchange for sweeping the evidence under the rug.
“No one from EACC, DCI or PSC is willing to lift a finger because they are all covering for each other,” said one employee insider.
“It’s clear they are deliberately letting this slip through the cracks by turning a blind eye and letting the rot continue.”
We will continue to monitor this scandal closely and relentlessly pursue the truth.
Those responsible are brought to justice.
