The Taita Taveta County MCAs on Tuesday approved six out of ten members nominated to the positions of County Executive Committee Members.
The ten were nominated by Governor Andrew Mwadime last month.
The nominees had last week appeared for vetting before the Speaker Wisdom Mwamburi-led Committee on Appointments.
Those given green light to serve in Mwadime’s maiden cabinet are Gloria Monikombo (Education, Libraries, VTCs and ICT) and Danson Mzenge (Finance and Economic Planning), Elizabeth Mkongo (Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, Mining and Energy and Granton Samboja Mwandawiro (Water, Environment, Sanitation, Climate Change and Natural Resources)
Others are Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) county executive secretary Shedrack Mutungi who will head the Youth, Sports, Gender, Culture and Social Services docket and his Health Services counterpart Gifton Mkaya.
Mkaya served in the same position during former Governor John Mruttu’s regime between 2013 and 2017.
The County Assembly however rejected the nomination of Peter Mnene (Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation), Christine Mwashighadi (Devolution, Public Service and Administration), Peter Mwandawiro (Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport) and Josephine Mwatibo (Trade, Tourism, Cooperatives Development and Industrialization).
Deputy Speaker Anselm Mwadime noted that the rigorous vetting exercise was done with high levels of professionalism and in the best interest of the County.
“It was not about nominees having sterling papers, but the nominee’s ability to deliver to the people,” he said.
He further underscored the importance of the Assembly in the process of the appointment of the cabinet.
Minority Leader Newton Kifuso said that vetting as envisioned in the law, is not merely a question-and-answer session and that the exercise was done professionally.
“Approving the wrong persons would sabotage service delivery in the County. The report is proof that the committee has given the governor the best team,” the Wumingu Kishushe MCA noted.
While supporting the motion, nominated MCA Hope Mwakio said the nominee should be rejected for lack of enough managerial skills, lack of touch with the ground and inability to manage County staff.
The governor is now expected to nominate other members and forward their names to the County Assembly for vetting.
