NIP CEO’s contract expires amid silence from board and ministries

The contract of Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) chief executive officer Kapena Tjombonde expired on Tuesday, with no public confirmation from the board or the line ministries on whether it has been renewed, extended or allowed to lapse.

As of yesterday, neither the NIP board nor the ministries of finance and health had issued an official statement clarifying Tjombonde's status, leaving leadership at the state-owned diagnostic services provider uncertain.

Tjombonde was appointed on 1 February 2021, succeeding Augustinus Katiti, who had led the institution from April 2014 until his dismissal in August 2018.

Stakeholders welcomed her appointment as an opportunity to strengthen governance, oversight and strategic direction at the laboratory institution.

Sources familiar with developments at NIP told Namibian Sun that Tjombonde’s contract had not been formally extended before it expired.

The same sources claimed that no official communication had been circulated internally to staff or externally to stakeholders regarding interim leadership arrangements.

Finance minister Ericah Shafudah referred questions on the matter to the health ministry, noting that CEO appointments at NIP fall under that ministry’s mandate.

“The relevant sector ministries are addressing issues related to boards and appointments of CEOs under their purview. This specific one is under the health ministry,” Shafudah said.

Private matter

Health ministry spokesperson Walter Kamaya said matters relating to executive contracts are not made public.

“Matters regarding contracts such as this are confidential and may not be easily discussed in public. Whether it will be renewed or not cannot be discussed at this stage. I do not have information on it, but you may try speaking to the minister,” Kamaya said.

During Tjombonde’s tenure, questions have been raised publicly about certain management decisions.

These include the acquisition of vehicles for senior executives, which documents seen by Namibian Sun indicate amounted to approximately N$5.3 million for five vehicles.

The vehicles included a Mercedes-Benz valued at about N$1.1 million allocated to the CEO, a Ford Ranger worth about N$1 million for the chief technical officer, a Nissan valued at roughly N$987 000 for the chief operations officer, a Toyota Fortuner costing about N$1.1 million for the chief human capital officer, and a Volkswagen Amarok worth around N$1 million for the chief financial officer.

At the same time, NIP employees, through the Namibian Public Workers Union, publicly called for performance bonuses ranging between N$50 000 and N$100 000, citing a lack of meaningful financial recognition over several years.

The union’s demands were not met.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the appointment of a branding service provider last year. According to documents, Vybrand Advertising CC was contracted to provide branding services for approximately N$520 000. Stakeholders raised questions about whether standard procurement processes were followed.

Melisia Mutilifa owns the company.

No official finding of wrongdoing has been made public regarding the concerns raised around the procurement or vehicle acquisitions.

Sources further indicated that some employees at NIP oppose Tjombonde’s return, citing dissatisfaction with leadership and governance decisions made during her tenure.

These views could not be independently verified.

Sources also indicated that the NIP board may have recommended Tjombonde for contract renewal, but that the final decision rests with the health minister, who is legally empowered to approve or decline executive appointments.

Questions sent to NIP board chairperson Ingah Ekandjo had not been responded to by the time of publication. Attempts to reach Tjombonde for comment were unsuccessful, and questions sent to her remained unanswered.

NIP is a state-owned entity established to manage and expand diagnostic laboratory services and disease research across Namibia.