Ben Chilumo, CEO of Huduma Kenya Secretariat has quietly made his way back to the helm of the organization. Chilumo was suspended due to graft allegations related to when he served in the County Government of Kilifi as the Chief Finance Officer.
Huduma Kenya was quick to welcome back its CEO posting on X, “Welcome back to the helm, CEO Mr. Ben Kai Chilumo!”
The CEO left office last year in November after the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, ordered his suspension alongside six other chief executive officers. The suspensions, due to allegations of involvement in corruption and procurement irregularities, came after a letter from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
EACC had asked for the officials to leave office for a period of 12 months. The anticorruption watchdog stated in its letter that the ongoing investigations would be compromised if the mentioned officials remained in their positions.
READ: Benjamin Kai Chilumo: A profile on the New Huduma Kenya CEO
However, Chilumo is back before the 12-month period requested by the EACC has lapsed. It is not directly clear if the commission has cleared him hence, paving way for his return.
It will not be a surprise if the Huduma Kenya boss is back in office before EACC concludes its investigations. Early this year, Eng. Anthony Tawayi Wamukota, the General Manager for Design and Construction at Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO), was reinstated. He too had been suspended at the same time as Chilumo.
Following Wamukota’s reinstalment, EACC moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge a lower court’s decision. Wamukota’s return to work was different from Ben Chilumo’s in that his suspension was quashed by a court on the 8th of April. Chilumo, who himself is not a stranger to legal battles, did not move to court.
He returns at a time when Kenyans are distraught over services at Huduma Centers, especially National ID replacement.
