This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
Published on July 7, 2020, a Senate committee has revealed that the demotion of Joel Lutomiah, the director of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Centre for Virus Research, was unlawful and unprocedural.
The committee, chaired by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, found that the grounds for Dr Lutomiah's removal over alleged failure to release Covid-19 test results to the Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, were unlawful.
According to the committee's seventh progress report, Dr Lutomiah was demoted on April 17 by Kemri director general Yeri Kombe, reportedly on Health CS Mutahi Kagwe's instructions, for delaying to release Covid-19 results.
However, Kagwe has distanced himself from the saga, explaining that the action was a 'normal administrative issue' at Kemri.
Dr Lutomiah, who appeared before the committee in May, blamed his woes on the ministry of Health acting Director General, Dr Patrick Amoth, and Dr Daniel Langat, the head of the ministry's Department of Disease Surveillance and Epidemic Response Unit.
The committee concluded that Lutomiah's removal from the position violated the Fair Administrative Action Act (No. 5 of 2015), as well as various Guidelines, Protocols and Manuals governing disciplinary action.
