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Senators hear out Mwangaza, PSB over jobs row

Senators hear out Mwangaza, PSB over jobs row
Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza. PHOTO/Print

Wrangling between Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and the County Public Service Board is threatening services, a Senate committee said yesterday.

National Cohesion and Integration Committee of the Senate is arbitrating the dispute between the two sides.

At the centre of the clash is human resources management, with Mwangaza rejecting the Board’s bid to hire more than 600 employees.

The infighting has lifted the lid on the troubles in Meru County which has attracted the attention of Kenyans since the August 2022 polls.

Laying bare her frustrations, Mwangaza accused the board, chaired by Julius Mitu, of turning a blind eye to a ballooning and unsustainable wage bill.

She also accused the Meru County Assembly of ‘forcefully’ allocating Sh205 million to personnel emoluments, further inflating the wage bill.

“[The] Meru County government is operating on ‘Fuliza’. Our wage bill currently stands at 43 per cent, way above the legal limit of 35 per cent,” the governor told the committee.

The board, responsible for hiring, firing and promoting county staff, is planning to recruit 668 employees.

But Mwangaza has rejected the plans, citing inadequate finances and the potential of breaking the law.

Interference claims

Meru, she said, has 5,567 employees, against the allowed 4,500.

But Mitu rejected that assertion, accusing Mwangaza of attempting to interfere with the legal mandate of the Board.

He said Section 68 of the County Governments Act allows the board to make appointments, including promotions.

Mitu told the committee that the board was hiring 668 people to replace a similar number who had quit.

The officers being hired, he added, are expected to provide critical services like health, education, extension services, and revenue collection.

 “We were not hiring additional staff. We were only replacing those who have since left the service in 2022,” said Mitu.

Mitu claimed that several critical departments were acutely understaffed. They include health, agriculture, treasury, transport, education, public service, energy, trade, lands and sports.

Kawira is fighting her impeachment in court after senators upheld her removal last year.

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