COTU boss Francis Atwoli back to NSSF board

Acting Labour Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo has reconstituted the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) board of trustees which has been embroiled with graft claims.

In the new changes, Omamo has appointed Kariithi Murage as the chairperson of the NSSF board of trustees and revoked the appointment of Charity Seleina Kisotu as the chair of the board.

Kisotu was appointed to the position last February by suspended Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi.

The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli makes a come back as a board member, months after being removed by Mr. Kambi.

The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) Executive Director Jacqueline Mugo, who was also removed from the board by Kambi, made a comeback as Patrick Onyango and Lyn Cherop got appointed.

Atwoli welcomed the new changes saying its time to make NSSF public friendly.

In July last year, suspended Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi retired the Federation of Kenya employer’s chief executive officer Jacqueline Mugo and COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli from NSSF board of trustees.

Kambi said Atwoli had served in the NSSF trustee board for 15 years and Mugo 11, which he said was contrary to the new NSSF act, that sets a maximum of two, three-year terms each.

Addressing the media at his office, the Labour CS said the move was aimed at bringing new blood into the board, in compliance with the new NSSF law, which came into effect on the February 10^th, 2014.

The changes came amid rows between Kambi and Atwoli over scandalous deals entered by the social security fund.