Sacked Kenya Re managing director Jadiah Mwarania has claimed that attempts to remove the board chairman and two directors are what cost him his job.
Mr Mwarania, who has obtained orders restraining the board from filling the MD’s position, has made the claims in a suit he filed at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
The CEO’s exit was announced through a Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) notice, which indicated that Michael Mbeshi, the reinsurer’s property management general manager, would take over as acting managing director. The notice was signed by board chairman David Kemei.
He says his woes started the moment he received a letter from Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua directing him to commence the removal of Mr Kemei and board members Maina Mukoma and Chiboli Shakaba.
Mr Mwarania moved to court on Wednesday and obtained the restraining orders pending the hearing of the suit on March 20.
“I strongly believe that my compliance with the directive of the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service was the genesis of the perceived issues with some members of the board of directors of the respondent and in particular those who were due for retirement during the aforesaid AGM of June 16, 2017, as clearly demonstrated by sequence of events that followed,” says Mr Mwarania in an affidavit.
He was appointed to the helm of Kenya Re on April 11, 2011, but has served the corporation for more than 20 years including as general manager for reinsurance operations. Mr Mwarania’s current contract was to run until April 2021.
Mr Kinyua in a confidential letter dated June 8, 2017, directed Mr Mwarania to process Mr Michael Monari, Hilda Muchunku and Julius Koros for the election to be held during the AGM. They were to replace Mr Kemei, Mr Mukoma and Shakaba.
Mr Mwarania responded on June 15 to the letter informing Mr Kinyua that the three have been processed for the election adding that the part of the directive that was outstanding was to ensure compliance during the 19th annual general meeting.
He claims his run-in with the chairman of the board started immediately, with the board chair writing to him on June 15 under reference ‘perennial lapses in the management of the corporation’ and raised concerns on a number of issues.
The chairman wrote another letter on August 3, raising issues on the staff policy, to which he responded.