Executive Walkway

PRESIDENT RUTO CHAIR CABINET MEETING, AND MEET PUBLIC FINANCE STAKEHOLDERS ON WAGE BILL

President Ruto will this week meet with various stakeholders in Public Finance Management architecture, particularly to discuss the wage bill issue, as he seeks to make true his commitment on austerity measures. The President will meet officials from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Office of the Auditor General, Office of the Controller of Budget, Council of Governors and the Budget and Finance Committees from Parliament for a National Conversation on the country’s wage bill.

President Ruto is also expected to chair a Cabinet meeting on Thursday this week. The Cabinet will potentially get a report from the Working Team regarding the ongoing healthcare impasse, and deliberate on further avenues to break the stalemate.

In other related news, as the Party Leader of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, the President will meet the party’s National Executive Committee and National Election Board meeting, ahead of the party’s grassroot elections.

Parliamentary Aisle

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO CONSIDER OF NOMINEES FOR APPOINTMENT TO VARIOUS DIPLOMATIC OFFICES, SENATE STILL IN RECESS.

The National Assembly will this week consider the Report on the Consideration of Nominees for appointment to various diplomatic offices from the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations.

The Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations has been conducting interviews for the various nominated by President Ruto early last month, as the government moves to strengthen its foreign relations with various countries across the globe.

Corridors ofJustice

ANTI-CORRUPTION WATCHDOG MOVES TO HIGH COURT IN GRAFT CASE AGAINST 6 SUSPENDED CEOs

Dissatisfied with the judgment rendered by the Employment and Labor Relations Court, last week on Monday, revoking the suspension of KETRACO General Manager Eng. Anthony Wamukota amid ongoing investigations into serious allegations of corruption and economic crime, EACC has, this week, moved to challenge the decision in the Court of Appeal.

The reinstated graft suspect is among 74 officials, including 6 Chief Executive Officers, suspended from office in November 2023 on recommendations of EACC to pave the way for investigations into their alleged involvement in theft or loss of public funds. This suspension occurred last year, when the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, indicated that six (6) CEOs of key parastatals had been suspended over graft claims.

Talking of Which

THE TAX PROCEDURES (ELECTRONIC TAX INVOICE) REGULATIONS, 2024 GAZETTED

Businesses have been waiting for the gazettement of the eTIMS Regulations and finally the taxman has done the needful.

Keen to note is that earlier proposal that sought to exempt businesses with annual turnover of Kes 5.0M and below from eTIMS has been done away with. Consequently, all businesses are now required, by law, to raise eTIMS invoices.

Watch out for

WORLD FINANCIAL INNOVATION SERIES 2024

Africa’s Premier FSI Tech & Innovation Summit will take place from 16th – 17th April, 2024 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.

This Summit falls under the ambit of the World Financial Innovation Series, and will feature technology and business heads from the leading Banks, Insurance & Micro-Finance institutions across the country. Through the Summit, stakeholders will have the chance to curate the best-in-class case studies and insightful topics to aid in defining the right set of protocols and the future road map for the organizations.

MovingUp

George Njuguna

George Njuguna has been appointed the Acting Chief Technology Information Officer at Safaricom PLC where he directs the Digital & Information Technology division. In this capacity, George spearheads the technological advancement and digital transformation of Safaricom, ensuring the reliability and availability of its services through innovative initiatives. He oversees the enhancement of Telecommunications, IT, Financial, and Digital Services infrastructure to deliver top-notch products and experiences to customers. As a vital member of Safaricom’s leadership, George contributes significantly to the company’s local and global strategic vision.

Before joining Safaricom, George held the position of Head of Information Technology at the Commercial Bank of Africa, amassing 23 years of IT experience and 18 years in Banking and Financial Services. Throughout his career, he has excelled in various technical and senior management roles, locally, regionally, and internationally. George has garnered numerous accolades, including being named CIO of the Year East Africa (2018) and being inducted into the East Africa CIO Hall of Fame (2019).

His commitment to excellence was further recognized when he was included in the Broadband 50 to Watch list in 2021 and received the Vodacom Leadership Award in 2022 for exemplifying Safaricom’s ethos of fostering inclusion. George’s dedication to driving industry-wide talent development is evident through initiatives like the Industry Digital Talent Program and the successful launch of the Safaricom Decode 2.0 Engineering Summit in 2023. His outstanding contributions to the field earned him the prestigious Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) from the President of Kenya in the same year.

Justine Kosgei

Justine Kosgeri has been appointed the CEO and Principal Officer of AAR Insurance Kenya. He brings extensive experience in senior management roles, including Divisional Director – Health Insurance at APA Insurance, Head of Operations at Old Mutual Rwanda, Head of Products and Development at Old Mutual Kenya, and Regional Technical Manager EA at Old Mutual.

He has excelled in different functions such as actuarial, operations, technical and strategy in different countries in East and South Africa.

Justine has a bachelor’s degree in Commerce (Actuarial Science), is an Associate of the Insurance Institute of Kenya (AIIK), a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI) and is currently pursuing an MBA from the University of Edinburgh.

Playbook

15th April 2024