Suspended National Biosafety Authority Chief Executive Officer Roy Mugiira has a suffered another blow after Employment and Labour Relations Court declined his request to halt disciplinary proceedings against him.

Justice Stella Rutto sitting in Nairobi dismissed an application for injunction against the board of directors of the National Biosafety Authority filed by Dr Mugiira.

The decision by Justice Rutto now paves way for disciplinary proceedings against Mugiira to continue for allegations of financial impropriety.

The suspended chief executive officer has been in court since last year in an effort to reclaim his position at the authority. Last year in December, the court declined request by Mugira to resume his duties, noting that the orders issued did not translate into automatic lifting of his suspension.

Mugiira was suspended from office by the board in July 2024 over allegations of misappropriation of funds and interference with the constitution of the Authority’s board of directors.

The disciplinary process against Mugiira began on June 6, 2024, when the board requested an explanation for several instances of financial impropriety at the Authority. He is alleged to have tempered with the investigation into claims of misappropriation of the funds by the board.

He was also accused of pushing for the removal of Dr Rosalinda Owuor and Mr Abduba Dabassa, who were actively involved in his case, removed and replaced by members of the board, according to an earlier statement.

According Prof Jenesio Kinyamario, the chairman of the NBA board, Mugiira’s actions went against regulation 10.8.1 and 10.82(2) and 10.10 of the NBA code of conduct and ethics, integrity and constituted a conflict of interest.

“The board considers your above actions to be gross misconduct for which severe disciplinary is contemplated over and above the ongoing disciplinary process,” read the letter addressed to Mugiira.

Mugirra w was initially suspended for three months to pave way for disciplinary process to conclude but will be called upon to answer audit queries for previous financial year. The suspended CEO was appointed in 2022 while the authority was still on freeze following a 10-year ban on the country’s sale, importation and growing of genetically modified crops and foods.

In the same year, an executive order by President William Ruto lifted the ban on GMOs in the country and NBA was in the process of he popularising and expanding research on the GMO crops and foods like maize and cassava.

Dr Mugiira joined the National Biosafety Authority in August 2021 as the director of technical services (DTS). Before that, he served as the acting CEO from February 22, 2022, a position he was appointed to following his stint as director of research in the ministry of education.

• A Tell Media report