Kenyan Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eng. Peter Tum has been directed to pay a surcharge of Ksh.1,837,355 over an irregular appointment made during his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). The directive was issued by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’oei in a letter dated September 4, 2025.
Why was Peter Tum surcharged?
According to the Inspectorate of State Corporations, Tum was found liable for the wrongful appointment of Dr. Miriam Ndunge Muthoka as Corporation Secretary between November 13, 2015, and January 11, 2022. The watchdog determined that the appointment was unlawful, as Dr. Muthoka did not hold the required qualifications, including registration as a Certified Public Secretary.
“Please be advised that the Inspectorate of State Corporations has made a final determination to surcharge you a sum of Ksh.1,837,355,” Dr. Korir wrote in his letter to Ambassador Tum.
What happens if the surcharge is not paid?
Tum has been instructed to remit the full amount to KMTC within 30 days and provide evidence of payment or an approved repayment plan. Failure to comply will result in automatic recovery of the funds through monthly salary deductions. “Kindly note that failure to comply with the above directives within the stipulated timeframe shall result in automatic recovery of the surcharge through monthly salary deductions of Ksh.100,000 over a period of 19 months, without any further reference to you,” added PS Sing’oei.
The matter was first raised on June 5, 2025, when the Inspectorate of State Corporations, led by James Warui, informed the PS of the confirmed surcharge. The letter was also copied to Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, as well as Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
This development follows similar action taken against former KMTC Board Chair Prof. Philip Kaloki, who was also surcharged for the same appointment. Kaloki appealed, but in July 2025, the State Corporations Appeals Tribunal upheld the surcharge. The Tribunal ruled that the appointment of Dr. Muthoka was “irregular and unlawful” and directed that the proper amount payable be recalculated to account for statutory deductions from her salary.
The Inspectorate of State Corporations continues to exercise its mandate to recover public funds lost through negligence or misconduct, reinforcing accountability across state corporations.
By Lucky Anyanje
