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Several governors are in a limbo a crisis after Ward Reps rejected their candidates nominated for county executive posts in a move that could derail service delivery.

 Those in trouble include governors Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Julius Malombe (Kitui) Kawira Mwangaza (Meru), Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos) and Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta).

In Nakuru, Kihika suffered a major blow after the Employment and Labour Relations Court struck off her application to have the court recuse itself in a petition challenging the vetting of chief officers.  Kihika alongside Assembly Speaker Joel Karuri, in their objection to the petition, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear and determine the case, saying the petitioners did not exhaust all legal avenues before moving to court.

However, Justice David Nderitu, while dismissing the application, observed that the court had jurisdiction to hear the matter, since the petition majorly touched on employment matters which falls under the court’s domain. 

Nderitu argued that ELRC is a specialised court created under an Act of Parliament to hear and determine issues related to employment. “Recruitment process falls in creation of employer and employee relationship, which falls under this court, and there is no way this court can run away from all this. In the court’s considered view, vetting, appointment falls under the employment process,” Nderitu ruled.

It will also take longer to form a complete government in Kiambu after the Assembly rejected five of Wamatangi’s 10 CEC nominees. Last week, MCAs rejected the five nominees, who had been given a clean bill of health by the appointment committee that was chaired by Speaker Charles Thiongo.  MCAs rejected Finance, ICT and Economic Planning nominee Nancy Kirumba, Administration and Public Service (Margaret Riunge) and Lands, Housing, Physical Planning, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (Salome Muthoni).

 Also rejected were Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operative Development (Mwenda Kiara) and Health (Dr Elias Maina).

MCAs rejected the five on grounds that they do not possess the requisite experience in their proposed dockets. 

 Ndenderu MCA David Mwaura, who was the only member who defended the embattled nominees, alluded that the move to reject them was tailored to send a political message to Wamatangi.

 Those approved were Dr Bibianne Aidi for the Education, Gender, Culture and Social Services, Ali Osman was approved to man the department of Youth, Sports and Communication.

Drawing board

 Eng Samuel Mugo will be in charge of the Roads, Transport, Public Works and Utilities, a position he still holds while David Kuria will also retain his Water, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources.

 Also approved was Nancy Muthoni  to head  Trade, Tourism, Industrialisation and Investments.

 Wamatangi will now have to go back to the drawing board and come up with another set of five nominees and present them to the appointment committee for vetting and subsequent approval by the Assembly.   Assembly Chief Whip Nelson Munga told People Daily that the governor should nominate qualified personnel to fit in the dockets they are supposed to run and not his friends.  “Even the ones he will nominate are going to face the same fate of rejection if they at all they will fail to meet the requisite knowledge required and it should dawn on the governor that we are doing this for his advantage and not malice,” he said.  In Meru, Governor Kawira Mwangaza is facing headache after seven out of her 10 Executive nominees were rejected by the House.  Mwangaza escaped impeachment last Wednesday after a Meru High Court termed it unconstitutional.

The County Executive Committee (CEC) nominees were rejected last month on grounds that they did not demonstrate knowledge on the topical, administrative and technical issues affecting their departments.   The approved CECs are Monica Kathono (Finance), Dickson Nkanata (Public Service, Legal Affairs and Service Management) and Joseph Thuranira (Education, Science Culture (ICT). 

 Those rejected were Dr George Mungania (Health), Kiambi Atheru (Water, Environment and Natural Resources), Esther Karimi (Trade, Tourism, Investment and Cooperative), Casty Micheni (Youth, Sports, Gender and Social Development), James Murungi (Roads, Energy and Public Works), Japhet Ithinji (Lands) and Caroline Karea (Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries) .

 In Kitui, Governor Julius Malombe has moved to calm growing political tension in the county following a delay in the vetting of his executives by the Assembly.  

Kitui Speaker Kinengo Katisya last week suspended vetting of the CECs following a new directive by the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission. This saw some local politicians accusing him and the MCAs of malice.  However, Dr Malombe sought to absolve the Assembly from blame, saying MCAs had been advised by the anti-corruption agency to do a thorough job on the vetting. “On November 18, all Assembly Speakers across the country received a letter from EACC requesting them not to proceed with vetting of CECs, Chief Officers and Public Service Board members to necessitate due integrity checks,” Malombe told reporters at his office on Tuesday.

Failed bid

 Equally in Machakos, Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s administration is staring at a stalemate following a failed bid her to disband the County Public Service Board.

 Trouble started after MCAs indicted Board chairman George Luka, secretary to the board Onesmus Muia and members Cecilia Mbinya and Stella Nduku.

They impeached Mutisya, Mbinya and Nduku on the day Kioko resigned on medical grounds. A court reinstated them a day before Wavinya kicked them out from office through a gazette notice.

In Taita Taveta, Governor Andrew Mwadime’s administration  is currently operating with slightly above a half Cabinet after the Assembly rejected four of his Cabinet nominees early last month.

While announcing his Cabinet, the county boss said the list was “based on merit having gone through rigorous selection.” Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) rejected the four, saying the nominees did not meet the requirements and experience to head their proposed dockets.

MCAs kicked out Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation nominee Peter Mnene, his Devolution, Public Service and Administration counterpart Christine Zighe, Peter Mwandawiro (Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport) as well as Trade, Tourism, Cooperatives Development and Industrialisation (Josephine Mwatibo).

Deputy Speaker Anselm Mwadime, who moved the motion, said the nominees were nullified for failing to convince the Assembly on their ability to deliver.

Assembly gave a nod to the nomination of Grantone Samboja, a graduate of Environmental Science to head Water, Environment, Sanitation, Climate Change and Natural Resources and Gifton Mkaya who served as Health Executive under John Mruttu’s regime to return  to the Health Services department.

Gloria Monikombo, a career educationist, who served as immediate deputy principal in charge of academics at Coast Institute of Technology was cleared to head Education while Dawson Mzenge, an experienced Certified Public Accountant was approved for Finance docket.

Others who were approved were Elizabeth Mkongo, to be in charge of Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, Mining and Energy and Shedrack Mutungi was okayed for  Youth, Sports, Gender, Culture and Social Services.

By Clement Kamau, Roy Lumbe, Dorcas Mbatia and Rueben Mwambingu