Chiloba responds to claims of misappropriating Ksh.662M CA mortgage scheme

Suspended Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Director General Ezra Chiloba has asserted his innocence in response to accusations of mismanaging a Ksh.662 million staff mortgage scheme within the Agency.

Chiloba has not been working at the Agency since September 18, 2023, after an internal audit reportedly revealed substantial losses within the CA scheme during his tenure. He was consequently suspended indefinitely, for among other things, allegations of abuse of office and conflict of interest.

In a letter dated October 2 and addressed to CA Board Chair Mary Mungai, Chiloba refuted the accusations as baseless and inaccurate while underscoring that all actions taken in relation to the management of the said mortgage scheme strictly adhered to relevant policies and guidelines.

"I wish to state that the allegations leveled against me, (Conflict of Interest, abuse of office, intent to defraud the authority, lack of professionalism and integrity and negligence of duty and failure to show due care are unfounded, incorrect and unjustified," said Chiloba in the letter seen by Citizen Digital.

"I wish to reiterate that all steps with respect to Staff mortgage administration were undertaken in compliance with applicable framework and policies."

Chiloba likewise raised concerns about how the scheme's audit was undertaken further claiming that the process was interfered with.

"In the present case, one of the glaring anomalies is that non-members of the Audit Committee actively influenced and participated in the drafting of the Audit Committee report which was presented to the Board and used as the basis for the disciplinary action," he said.

He went on to say that documents presented as forming the basis of the disciplinary action against him are likewise full of inconsistencies and contradictions.

Some of the key areas of inconsistency, Chiloba said, include, among others, discrepancies between the Audit Committee report and deliberations at the meeting, glaring differences between the internal audit report and Audit Committee report and conflicting valuation reports by the same Government Valuer at different stages.

"It is evident that I have been denied due process and the process continues to be fraught with irregularities including interference with the audit process, inconsistencies in reports, failure to provide requested documents and particulars and breach of privacy," he said.

"For the reasons stated it is my prayer that the Authority will be able to vacate the impugned notice to show cause, allegations upon which it is founded and the attendant suspension."