BY ALBERT NYAKUNDI
The Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi has given in to pressure after an expose by Hot News and has finally appointed a new CEO to head the Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT).
MESPT is a joint development agency which Denmark founded with Kenya in 2002, through its development agency, DANIDA.
It is involved in agriculture value chains and wholesale financing for on-lending.
Through its twitter handle on May 5,2020, it confirmed appointment of Miss Rebecca Amukhoye as the new CEO.
She took over from Charles Nyawade who has been the acting CEO since June 2018.
The appointment through a caretaker committee appointed in July 2019 comes eight months after the vacancy was advertised.
The organization based in Nairobi, has been operating for close to two years without a CEO.
This has allegedly been occasioned by meddling in the affairs of the board of trustees by the embassy.
The embassy was also accused of facilitating the dissolution of MESPT board of trustees under unclear circumstances in February 2019.
An insider who sought anonymity said the embassy was angered when the board sent Nyawade on compulsory leave in January 2019 over malpractices claims against the wish of the Embassy.
He was the acting CEO and head of finance.
Nyawade was the favorite candidate by the Embassy according to a protest letter to the Embassy by a former board that was dissolved in February 2019.
Sources at MESPT told Hot News in confidence that the locking out of Nyawade was a big blow.
They said the advert placed in a local daily on September 9 2019 was designed to favor him.
Nyawade and the Embassy have refused to comment after various attempts by Hot News seeking their comments.
The current caretaker committee has not been able to constitute a Board of Trustees, two months to expiry of their appointment.
According to a memo seen by Hot News dated July 2,2019, the caretaker committee’s key mandate among other duties is to recruit a chief executive officer and a Board of Trustees.
It is was also tasked with “mentorship” of the acting CEO.
The committee is also expected to address critical institutional strengthening needs and undertake Board of Trustees roles under guidance of the founders.
The committee members are Noah Meely,Irene Githinji and Stephen Mbugua.
Monica Asuma represents the government through the treasury while Elizabeth Matioli represents the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi which represents the Royal Danish Government.
A Deed dated February 21,2013 seen by Hot News does not provide for a caretaker committee at MESPT.
It states, “The board shall be the policy and decision-making organ of the Trust.
The corporate powers of the trust shall be exercised, it’s business conducted and it’s property vested, controlled and judiciously managed by the board.”
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