- Media surveillance reports have singled out Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) as probably the next on the line.
Intelligence reports could see more parastatal heads pushed out of government as Cabinet Secretaries work around the clock to kick out perceived sabotage plans from junior officers.
This comes day after the resignation of Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Director General Kungu Ndungu and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) boss Philemon Kandie.
Media surveillance reports have singled out Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) Managing Director Philip Mainga as the next likely target.
Mr. Mainga who has been at Kenya Railways for over two decades in different capacities enjoys deep rooted support within the government systems.
However, a myriad of court cases, allegations of collusion with opposition bigwigs and deliberate sabotage claims could see him elbowed out.
The board led by Abdi Bare Duale,who is brother to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale remains on high alert as state sponsored sleuths conclude investigations on leading parastatals.
All these are fueled by the turn of events at KeNHA and KeRRA which have been under tight scrutiny by parliamentary oversight bodies.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had initially proposed that the two bodies be scrapped and the funds given to them re-allocated to countie
According to an internal memo from KeNHA released on Friday, July 11, the change in leadership at the helm of the government institution was confirmed, with the resignation taking effect immediately
Following Ndungu’s resignation, KeNHA disclosed that Luka Kimeli would take over as Director General, albeit in an acting capacity.
“It further announces the appointment of Eng. Luka Kimeli as Acting Director General, effective July 11, 2025,” it added.The board did not provide details regarding Ndungu’s departure but expressed confidence in the acting DG’s ability to steer KeNHA’s mandate during the transition.
Ndungu, a civil engineer and business executive, was appointed to the position on October 8, 2021. He replaced Peter Mundinia, who had retired.
The coincidence of the resignation of the two senior roads agency bosses on the same day raised eyebrows in certain quarters, with Kenyans questioning the timing of the departures.
While the reasons for their exits were not explicitly outlined by either KeRRA or KeNHA, many alleged there was a political connection behind both stepping down from their senior roles.
However, Kandie’s resignation came just days after he was linked to an alleged role in the June protests.
On July 2, a petition was filed at the High Court seeking the removal of Kandie as KeRRA’s DG, with allegations that he played a role in the protests across the country.
In the petition, the senior public officer was accused of using his position to funnel state funds through shell companies and contractors linked to KeRRA to finance the chaos.
The petitioner further claimed that intelligence and investigative reports linked procurement accounts and logistical support for the violent groups to entities associated with the KeRRA boss, all the while being a serving public official.
Mainga’s case
The KR boss has severally been sued and compeled by rights groups to exit office over corruption allegations touching on procurement irregularities.
He is battling a Sh150 million corruption allegation for murram supply in the Nairobi Nanyuki railway rehabilitation,allegations of irregular diversion of Sh8 billion meant for retirees and ballooning loans at the agency.
Shockingly, he was also linked to working closely with contractors funding opposition activities while separate media reports also linked him to funding of the June 25 protests.
