Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) has recommended the expulsion of Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) managing director Steven Maina Githaiga for lying about his date of birth.
In a letter dated September 10, 2020, EACC CEO Twalib says that Mr Githaiga was first registered in 1979 and issued with a National Identity Card No. 1901968 indicating his year of birth as 1953. However, in 2015, Mr Githaiga applied for change of his date of birth on his National Identity Card from October 20, 1953 to October 20, 1958.
“This change was approved by National Registration Bureau on the basis of documents Mr Steven Maina Githaiga had provided which were a Birth Certificate Entry Number 31095382/1995 and a copy of his Passport Number A2043008,” said Mr Mbaraq.
EACC further adds that Mr Githaiga is in possession of two other Birth Certificates issued on August 16, 1979 in Nyeri District.
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“The Commission is empowered under Section 4(4) of LIA to require Public Entities to carry out such functions and exercise such powers as may be necessary to enforce compliance with the leadership and integrity requirements. To this end, the Commission advises that for investigations to proceed unabated, the services of Mr Steven Maina Githaiga be suspended with immediate effect until investigations are concluded,” added the letter.
Mr Githaiga was supposed to retire in 2008 at the age of 55 before the government changed the retirement age to 60, giving him five more years at the helm. He was thus supposed to retire in 2013.
He was however not satisfied with the ‘bonus’ of five years, hence decided to change his date of birth to match that on his passport, No. A1593455, acquired on February 2, 2011.
Also, Stephen Maina Githaiga later changed his name to Steven Githaiga Ruimuku.
The same was revealed to Parliament in 2015 by former auditor general Edward Ouko.
“Githaiga changed his date of birth from 1953 to 1958, a date he now uses on most of his official documents. Accordingly, his true age is 62 years and as such, he ought to have retired in 2008, one year before the government enhanced retirement age to 60 years,” Ouko said in 2015.
As of 2015, earned Ksh10.8 million in basic salary during the fraudulently extended tenure in office, Ouko said.
“Considering the applicable law, Mr. Githaiga’s conduct constitutes serious ethical breaches contrary to the integrity and ethical requirements governing the conduct of state and public officers as laid out in various anti-corruption laws,” says EACC.
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