In a gazette notice issued on Friday, President Kenyatta picked Dr Malachy Ekal Imana as the chairperson of the board to replace Dr Sammy Letama who has been moved to the Kenya Forestry Research Institute in the same capacity.
The President named Hussein Fayo, Bernard Kimani Njoroge, Caroline Gatwiri Mugwongo, Beatrice Mbingi, Edwin Irungu and Lalakipani Kambaki as board members.
Wamalwa disbanded the board last month in a hurriedly convened news conference, where he stated that he will not condone corruption, boardroom wars, and sideshows within the irrigation agency
Gitonga Mugambi has been appointed to act as the General Manager pending the reconstitution of a new board that will take over the management of the institution for the next three months.
This is after the Board then under Letama resolved to suspend Daniel Baraza (General Manager), Mary Chomber (Deputy General Manager) and Boaz Akello (Procurement and Supplies Manager) to pave way for investigations over financial mismanagement.
On April 25, Wamalwa instructed the board to reinstate the three officials who had been suspended on April 21 on allegations of misconduct and financial mismanagement arguing that the suspension did not follow due process.
The board’s first major task will be turning fortunes of the multi-billion shilling Galana-Kalulu Irrigation Scheme which seeks to irrigate one million acres to emancipate the country from dependency on rain water for agriculture.