The City of Windhoek Council has unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendation for the appointment of Roads Authority (RA) CEO Conrad Lutombi as the City’s new Chief Executive Officer.
“This is just a unanimous decision taken to appoint him. They are going to give him an offer and all those things and if he accepts then he will be dully appointed. They unanimously resolved to appoint the first candidate who was Lutombi,” CoW spokesperson Harold Akwenye told The Brief.
The council’s decision comes over a year later, since the interviews were conducted.
The capital city has been operating without a substantive CEO for almost two years following the resignation of Robert Kahimise in 2020.
Since November 2020, the position has been rotated in acting capacity among various city executives, beginning with George Mayumbelo. Then, in November 2021, CoW appointed Jennifer Comalie, its Strategic Executive for Finance and Customer Service, as its new Acting CEO for three months. In May 2022, she was succeeded by the current acting CEO, O’Brien Hekandjo.
Lutombi is reported to also have dragged the municipality to court over its delays to appoint him despite performing best with Otjiwarongo Municipality CEO Moses Matyayi having emerged second.
Matyayi and Lutombi were shortlisted for the position alongside Deputy Executive Director at the Ministry of Works and Transport Joyce Mukubi, Chief Business Unit Executive at NamWater Eino Mvula, and a researcher Charmill Zamuee.
After 59 candidates tendered their applications for the city’s top job, the shortlisted five candidates publicly presented their motivations in September last year.
