Six new Nyeri County Public Service Board members took office on Thursday.
The team is expected to reduce the wage bill in the county by retiring some workers. The board is also tasked with employing more staff where there is shortage.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga on Thursday said board members are expected to employ more nurses, ward administrators and drivers.
The county, he said, was in the middle of trying to reduce its wage bill when the last CPSB members left office.
The county is preparing to undertake a voluntary retirement programme, he said, and called on the board to take up the matter.
“Work closely with the Public Service CEC so that we can work on bringing down our cost,” he said.
He said the county will embark on educating employees on what Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) programme is so that they can get to understand it.
The county chief told them to find out whether there are any pending promotions to motivate workers.
Kahiga spoke during the signing of the board members contracts in his office. The newly appointed include the chairman, a secretary and four new members.
They are Paul Kariuki (chairperson), David Ruga (secretary) and members John Kihonge, Serah Githaiga, Benson Ngure and Halima Mayow.
The appointment of the six brings the number of members to seven. Jane Kanario was appointed a year ago.
They will serve under a six-year none renewable contract.
The chairman, formerly a board member, said the wage bill is above the recommended 35 per cent.
“We have already started the VER policy which we have shared with the executive and the assembly,” he said.
The county government had allocated Sh100 million in this year’s budget of 2019-20 as early retirement package for county workers above the age of 50.
The civil servants expected to volunteer are those inherited from the national government when devolution came into being.
Kahiga in an earlier interview, said the county is expected to lay off about 959 employees.
The county spends about 52 per cent of its budget on operations and maintenance and the intention is to bring it to 35 per cent as recommended by law.
The total county budget is estimated at Sh7.8 billion, consisting of recurrent expenditure of Sh5.3 billion, which is 67.92 per cent of the total county budget.
Out of this, the allocation for personal emoluments is Sh3.5 billion, which 45 per cent of the total budget and far above the recommended percentage of 35 per cent.
Development expenditure estimate is at Sh2.5 billion, which represents 32.08 per cent of the total budget.
