Former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Mwangi has begun the process of reclaiming his job at the state corporation, a week after he was cleared from the Sh1.1billion graft case.
His lawyer Migos Ogamba said yesterday that the former CEO is entitled to reinstatement as he lost the job unfairly and unprocedurally through the alleged corruption case.
“He had worked two years as CEO when the charges were brought which meant that he had to be suspended. When he requested to go back, he was told to finish the court cases. The case is done now, meaning he can properly return to the office and that is the line I am pursuing,” said lawyer Ogamba.
He confirmed that Mwangi was receiving half his salary during the court trial and observed that it is right, just and fair that employees go back to their jobs once cleared by the courts from criminal allegations levelled against them.
“Once suspended from your job and you win the case, you are supposed to be reinstated. That is what we want to do,” said lawyer Ogamba.
Mwangi was appointed CEO of the insurer in February 2016 and left the office in November 2018 following the graft case where he was facing eight criminal counts.
The DPP dropped the case after finding that no money was lost in the award of the tender to an online payment company Webtribe Limited.
The DPP also found that there was no sufficient evidence to sustain the trial and that the procurement for service for the provision of the Integrated Revenue Collection System by NHIF was done in accordance with the stipulated law and guidelines.
While Mwangi is seeking reinstatement, the current CEO of the insurer, Peter Kamunyo’s three-year tenure is about to end in April 2023.
However, his tenure is renewable for another three years.
If the process is successful, Mwangi will become the second senior government official suspended by the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta over alleged corruption to return to office after being cleared by the court.
Recently, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang was reinstated to his position in an acting capacity after the anti-corruption court cleared him from a Sh1.9 billion corruption scandal.
Most of the corruption cases instituted during President Kenyatta’s tenure have been withdrawn by the DPP while others have collapsed.
