Kahimise wants out

By Eliaser Ndeyanale

AS political pressure on municipal officials at the City of Windhoek mounts, there are signs that its chief executive officer Robert Kahimise, wants to abandon ship to join a regional electricity distribution company.

Kahimise has had a rocky relationship with Windhoek councilors, which also resulted in his suspension from duties for three months after he allegedly unilaterally awarded a scholarship to himself for the completion of his doctoral degree, with the approval of former Windhoek mayor Muesee Kazapua and former chairperson of the management committee Mathew Amadhila.

The two have since been demoted to ordinary councillors.

Confidente is reliably informed that Kahimise has been shortlisted for the role of CEO of Central Northern Electricity Distributor (Cenored), which has been without a substantive chief executive for almost a month since Mburumba Appolus, who had been at the helm of the company for 15 years, vacated the post.

Another candidate shortlisted for the CEO post at Cenored is Air Namibia’s acting CEO Elia Erastus. He is also the human resources chief at Air Namibia and was appointed acting CEO of the airline earlier this year until a substantive CEO is appointed.

Both Kahimise and Erastus had worked for regional electricity distribution companies before.

Contacted for comment this week, Erastus confirmed that he had applied for the position but he had not been informed whether he has been shortlisted.

Asked when the new CEO will be appointed, Cenored board chairperson Ismael /Howoseb said, “I am not privy to the information but I know the position was advertised.  Perhaps you can find out from Cenored office, they will be able to give you more information

Meanwhie, Cenored spokesman Charlie Matengu said he did not know whether the shortlisted candidates have been informed, because the process has not been finalised yet due to delays caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Some of these things are confidential in nature. There is speculation in the air that Kahimise and Erastus have been shortlisted because they had once worked for the REDs and they should be in. I don’t know whether they have applied but people are just speculating and want to know whether they applied or not,” he said.

Kahimise did not answer numerous calls to his mobile phone but sent a text message, saying “Sorry, I can’t talk right now.” He was employed as Erongo Red CEO from July 2013 until 2015 when he took up the post of Windhoek CEO.