IEK Members Vote Overwhelmingly for 9-Member Caretaker Committee as Council Elections Remain Suspended

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya moved to stabilise its affairs on Thursday by appointing a nine-member caretaker committee at the conclusion of a special general meeting that stretched through the afternoon and into the evening.

Physical attendees and online participants approved the caretaker arrangement by a margin of 107 votes to one. The session exposed deep frustrations over delayed elections, prolonged registration backlogs for graduate engineers and several active court cases that have disrupted the professional body’s normal operations.

Members first debated whether to extend the current council or create a caretaker panel. The IEK Constitution 2015 does not have a provision for either scenarios. Broad support emerged for the caretaker option, with speakers including Eng Matalanga urging that active election aspirants be kept off the committee to prevent conflicts of interest.

Eng Grace Kagondu was one of several contributors who called for a constitution backed by the entire membership. That sentiment fed into a separate motion for the withdrawal of the proposed 2025 constitution that had been submitted to the Registrar of Societies. The withdrawal motion passed with strong support from senior engineers and a wide cross-section of participants, both in person and online.

Following extended nominations and discussion, the meeting confirmed the caretaker committee as follows: Eng Hillary Nyanga as chair, Eng Fanuel Mwashigadi as treasurer, Eng Mogoro Wairimu as secretary, together with Eng Mutulili, Eng Ogai, Eng Ogomba, Eng Mutonga, Eng Ken Wamalwa and Eng Stanley Musau. Eng Stanley Musau replaced Eng Paul Ochola, who remains on the scrutineers committee.

Nominations saw heated moments. Personal concerns were raised regarding some nominees, including Eng Ogai and Eng Jane Mutulili. Eng Stephen Phanuel Omondi (SPO), who is running to lead the institution, was the sole dissenter on the final list after raising personal issues with the two engineers, and indicated the issues would proceed to court.

The attendees agreed that unexplained personal issues would not be enough grounds to bar the ladies from the committee. Eng. Orege appealed to SPO not to go the court direction, so we wait and see what happens.

Once the committee was constituted, members turned to its mandate. The panel is to maintain day-to-day operations without embarking on major policy shifts, long-term partnerships or staff changes. It will report directly to members and work towards a new annual general meeting, with expectations of visible progress before the end of June.

Practical issues drew focused attention. Eng. Howard M’Mayi highlighted the necessity of freezing bank accounts until new signatories are confirmed. Contributors also called for prompt responses to ongoing court matters while observing all judicial orders.

Suggestions to restart the election process entirely received mixed reactions. Eng Matalanga argued that accumulated problems justified a fresh start, but presidential aspirant Eng Butichi Hamisi maintained that preparations had been handled properly. Eng. Chair Keter, who is also a candidate, kept the discussion within agreed boundaries.

Graduate engineers repeatedly raised the human cost of registration delays. Julius Oloo noted that many professionals who completed interviews nearly a year ago remain unregistered, affecting their careers. Some participants renewed calls for graduate engineer representation on the caretaker panel. The council elections actually remain suspended because of the exclusion of graduate engineers.

Procedural questions featured throughout the meeting. Attendees sought confirmation of quorum, proper motion proposal and secondment, and adherence to constitutional rules for the session chair. A few voiced concerns that any shortcomings could invite legal challenges.

Organisers clarified that written approvals for the special general meeting had been secured from the Registrar of Societies despite a circulating letter suggesting otherwise. They indicated the new committee would present the resolutions in person the next day.

The special general meeting would not have taken place without the sustained efforts of Eng. Howard M’Mayi in facilitating necessary approvals and coordination. Eng. Chair Keter also presided over the proceedings in a manner that allowed wide participation while maintaining order. There was a lot of caution to ensure no constitutional clause was violated.

The session closed after formal adoption of the caretaker mandate and the reading of resolutions. The committee is expected to hold its first meeting shortly and elect office bearers internally.

Will the caretaker committee succeed in resolving the issues such as the withdrawal of court cases and inclusion of graduate engineers? We wait and see, and we wish them all the best.