Brigadier (Rtd) Joseph Muracia, the CEO of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, has been dismissed from his position effective immediately due to gross misconduct, corruption, embezzlement, nepotism, and insubordination.
The decision to remove Muracia was made during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon, chaired by former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, where it was unanimously agreed that his actions warranted immediate dismissal.
Muracia, who was appointed to the commission by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua under the direction of President William Ruto, has been accused of exploiting weaknesses within the organization to misappropriate funds.
The Nairobi Rivers Commission, established to clean and rehabilitate Nairobi’s rivers, has been operational for less than two years.
An audit of the commission’s financial activities for the 2023/2024 fiscal year revealed severe mismanagement, resulting in the loss of over shs. 150 million.
The audit exposed numerous irregularities, including overpriced procurements and missing documentation for purchased goods.
One glaring example included Shalmac Technologies, which supplied 12 desktop computers for shs.
3,000,000, significantly above the market price of shs. 1,896,000, marking an overpricing of 158%. Similarly, Shelvis Enterprises delivered 17 printers for shs. 2,975,000, an overcharge of 261% compared to the market price.
Simora Group supplied 10 laptops at shs. 2,980,000, even though the actual market value was shs. 1,250,000, resulting in an overpricing of 238%.
In addition to financial mismanagement, the audit revealed discrepancies in employment records. Muracia had reportedly claimed to employ 20,000 “Climate Worx” workers, but many of these were identified as ghost employees.
Furthermore, a Kshs. 200 million allocation for allowances was mismanaged, with significant funds unaccounted for.
Muracia’s leadership style was also criticized for nepotism, as he allegedly hired family members and paid them exorbitant salaries, sidelining other staff members.
His autocratic management style was marked by insubordination and frequent use of derogatory language when dealing with commissioners, disregarding their input and making key decisions without their consultation.
The dismissal of Muracia marks a crucial step in addressing corruption and ensuring accountability within the Nairobi Rivers Commission.
The government has committed to investigating these matters further and recovering the misappropriated funds, with a focus on preventing such misconduct from recurring in the future.
