BY ALBERT NYAKUNDI
A former Board of trustees at the Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT) has accused the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi of unfair dissolution.
This is after the board refused to take instructions from the current Ambassador regarding staffing at MESPT.
The Board was dissolved through a letter to the trustees dated February 21, 2019.
In July 2019, a caretaker Board was formed by the Embassy to run MESPT.
MESPT was founded by the Kenyan government and Denmark about two decades ago to support small and micro enterprises in Kenya.
The organization is supported through funding from Denmark’s international development agency-DANIDA.
The Embassy accused the board of holding an illegal meeting and making irregular decisions.
The Board however, in a letter to the Embassy dated March 25 and addressed to the Ambassador H.E Mette Knudsen, says the meeting that took place was purely administrative and within its mandate as per the trust deed.
The letter has been signed by former board chair Mary Waceke Muia, her Deputy James Kihara and board members David Ruchiu,Mercy Nduku and Raymond Nyamweya.
The protest letter was copied to former treasury Principal Secretary Dr Kamau Thugge, Denmark’s Auditor General and the Ministry of foreign Cooperation.
The Board had decided to send the head of finance and acting C.E.O Charles Nyawade on leave since his leave days had accumulated and his contract was coming to an end in February 2019.
This angered the Ambassador and her request to the board to review the decision was rejected.
“We respectively disagree with this allegation. The Board, after deliberations requested the head of finance to take annual leave as he had accumulated more than twenty two leave days. In the meantime, the board asked head of credit to act as C.E.O.” Reads the board’s letter.
Raphael Kuria was then the head of credit.
The Embassy also claimed there was a stalemate between the Board and MESPT founders.
The Board denied the claims.
“The Embassy of Denmark appeared to be unhappy with the board’s resolution and requested the board to reconsider its position and openly preferred a particular staff to remain in charge.” Reads the letter sent to Ambassador Knudsen.
The Board says during their initial meeting, the founders assured them that they were the best team in terms of experience and qualifications.
“Therefore, the dissolution was a surprise to us, your decision to dissolve the Board was not premised on the board members’ integrity or professionalism but on the character of the current relationship between the Board and MESPT founders.” The former board of trustees wrote adding that there was no fair administrative process since there was no explanation sought from the board prior to the dissolution.
When reached for comment, the Embassy did not respond to our emails.
There have been numerous claims and allegations of corruption at MESPT.
The Embassy has also been accused of condoning corruption by not taking action against those suspected of embezzling donor funds.
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