The candidates have appealed to the New KPCU board and Agriculture minister Peter Munya to intervene and have them take up the positions.

The top management of New KPCU is reluctant to hire the Marketing and Finance Managers.

This is almost a year after the positions became vacant.

They were advertised, recruitment done, candidates shortlisted and those to fill up the positions identified.

However, as time goes, those who were supposed to fill the position have become anxious.

The candidates had asked the former acting MD Angela Ndambuki to confirm them to the positions, but she was reportedly reluctant.

When reached for comment when she was the acting MD last month, Mrs. Ndambuki said “I cannot comment on those issues”

Two weeks later, a new MD who is a former staff at the Kenya National Trading Corporation took over and Mrs Ndambuki resumed her previous role as the Human Resources Manager.

The candidates have appealed to the New KPCU board and Agriculture minister Peter Munya to intervene and have them take up the positions.

Several insiders said Ndambuki is to blame since she oversees HR and should have filled the positions when she acted.

“She took advantage of the fact that some of the Board members term is expiring to ignore their directive to fill the two positions. She has her own preferred candidates,” said a source who requested anonymity.

When she was acting MD, she was also accused of not respond to staff emails and letters.

Some staff accused her of disliking diverse opinions.

New KPCU is also accused of not utilizing the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) yet the government released the cash long ago.

CCARF is one of the recommendations of the Coffee Taskforce which identified the need to introduce regular payments against coffee deliveries to break the lengthy systemic delays farmers experience.

Currently, the New KPCU Board of Directors are listed as Henry Kinyua the Chairman, Muthoni Wangai, Simeon Thuranira Atheru, Sebastian Maina Wambugu, Anthony Nzau Musau, Michael Mwirigi Mungai, Josephine Kemunto Omwenga, Rita Viola, Mukami Mukundi and Joyce Nkirote Kinuu.

A board member who spoke to Hot News on condition of anonymity said Mrs Ndambuki and the new MD should not be blamed for the delay.

“Our board was a transitory one, to oversee the implementation of the reform roadmap, so we had one year mandate which expired in December before we could approve those appointments and many other things. Until a new board is in place, the secretariat cannot just appoint people because they would run afoul with the law,” the Director said.

The director added that if the two managers were picked, their appointment will be confirmed by the new board or by themselves if they are reappointed.