The government is once again facing questions over its seriousness in appointing Kenyans with impeccable character to plum state positions after the Anti- Counterfeit Agency of Kenya (ACA) elevated John Akoten, a man linked to a fake number plates syndicate in 2016 to the position of Executive Director.
On Sunday, The Nation reported that the agency’s board had communicated the appointment of Mr. Akoten via an internal memo after Elema Halakhe, the agency’s boss went on terminal leave.
“This is to notify you Mr. Elema Halake will be proceeding on annual leave from Monday, August 24, to August 31, and thereafter proceed on terminal leave from September 1 to September 30. The board in its 71st Full Board meeting appointed Dr. John Akoten as the Ag Executive Director. Kindly let us give him all the support he requires to continue steering ACA to greater heights,” The Nation quoted the memo.
In 2016, Mr. Akoten was a shoo-in for appointment as top boss having served as Deputy Director but was pipped to the job by M. Halakhe over reservations about the number-plate saga.
Akoten hit national headlines in 2014 when his government-issued vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat was involved in a road accident.
The accident opened a can of worms as it was revealed in normal accident protocols that the number plates were forged.
Court proceedings, later on, revealed that he had allegedly given his driver Ksh2,500 to buy and fix the fake plates on his government-issued car. Conversely, it was also revealed that the number plates were counterfeited at a shop on Kirinyaga Road, Nairobi.
“Due to police check units in Isiolo, Nakuru and Kitale, the acting executive director instructed his driver to make private number plates after the initial set was withdrawn. The acting ED gave the driver Ksh2,500 and he went to make it on Kirinyaga Road in Nairobi,” the report drawn up by the committee tasked with investigating the circumstances of the crash, reads in part.
However. in his defense Mr. Akoten argued that his actions were driven out of fear of his life. Investigators also found out that he had also tampered with the car’s tracking components.
The motivation behind fitting his official vehicle with fake plates it emerged was to carry out his private business using the government-issued car.
Investigations to establish the cause of the accident also exposed misuse of the government vehicle and gave the clearest indicator that government officials use their official cars for their private businesses with almost reckless abandon.
