Details have emerged regarding an alleged sabotage at East African Portland Cement PLC (EAPCC), following the mysterious disabling of the company’s JD system in the final week of February 2025.
The JD system, which is integral to the company’s factory operations and financial transactions, was reportedly offline for two days, bringing the company’s operations to a halt.
This disruption has raised serious concerns within the company, especially after a tumultuous Board meeting on February 26, 2025, where controversial decisions were made regarding the appointment of a new Managing Director.
Lawyer Apollo Mboya has called for immediate transparency demanding critical information from the company’s Board about both the unexplained system failure and the handling of the new MD appointment.
In his formal letter to Brigadier (Rtd.) Richard Mbithi, Chairman of the Board, Mboya has called for full disclosure on why the JD system was mysteriously disabled and whether the disruption was part of a deliberate effort to undermine the company’s operations during a period of internal governance instability.
“The disabling of the JD system coincided with a period of immense tension within the company, and we have reason to believe that this disruption was no accident,” Mboya wrote.
The system failure comes on the heels of a highly contentious Board meeting on February 26, 2025, where the Board attempted to impose Mohamed Osman Adan as the substantive Managing Director, counteracting the President’s previous appointment.
On December 20, 2024, President William Ruto had appointed a new Managing Director following a decision by the Board on November 22, 2024, to forward top candidates for the position to the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry.
Mboya expressed his dissatisfaction with the Board’s actions, noting that the move to appoint Adan despite the President’s directive undermined the leadership process.
“During this meeting, remarks were made that belittled the President and his appointee, creating confusion and discontent among both Board members and staff,” Mboya stated in his letter.
The situation has created a tense environment at EAPCC, with staff and Board members expressing frustration over the internal power struggles.
Mboya has now made formal demands for critical documents, including copies of the Board minutes from the meeting where the counteraction to the President’s appointee was made.
He is also requesting a copy of the letter of appointment for Mohamed Osman Adan as Managing Director and a detailed explanation for the disabling of the JD system in February 2025.
Mboya further pointed to several constitutional violations, stressing that the actions of the Board contravened Articles 232 and 35 of the Constitution of Kenya, which guarantee citizens’ rights to access information held by state bodies.
“These actions contravene the principles of public service, including professional ethics and accountability,” Mboya stated, adding that the Board’s behavior had exposed the President to undue ridicule.
In his letter, Mboya emphasized that the information was crucial to protect the constitutional rights of the company’s employees and stakeholders.
“The actions of the Board have violated the constitutional right to fair administrative action and equal protection under the law,” Mboya said.
Mboya has given the Board 48 hours to comply with his request for information, warning that legal action will be pursued if there is no response.
“Take notice that in case of your non-compliance to the request within 48 hours, we shall commence the necessary legal action without further reference to you,” he concluded.
As the company grapples with governance issues and the fallout from the alleged sabotage, all eyes are now on the Board’s response to Mboya’s demands.
