- Mombasa becomes the last county to swear in its County Executive Committee Members since the August 2022 general elections.
- The gubernatorial elections in both Mombasa and Kakamega were conducted on August 29, three weeks after the general elections.
Image: HANDOUT
Mombasa County Executives were on Tuesday evening sworn into office six months after Governor Abdulswamad Nassir took over.
Mombasa becomes the last county to swear in its County Executive Committee Members since the August 2022 general elections.
The gubernatorial elections in both Mombasa and Kakamega were conducted on August 29, three weeks after the general elections.
Governor Nassir and his deputy Francis Thoya were sworn into office on September 15, 2022. The two were elected on an ODM party ticket.
The governor had been under pressure to name his cabinet.
But finally, on January 16, Nassir named his 10-member cabinet ending weeks of speculation after a rigorous process that saw the governor advertise for the CECM positions to get competent persons.
The 10 were approved by the Mombasa county assembly on Tuesday and later sworn into office in an elaborate ceremony that took place at the office of the governor in Elimu na Mazingira building in Mombasa.
First to take the oath was Education and Digital Transformation executive Dr Mbwarali Kame Mboramad followed by Evans Oanda who will handle the Finance and Economic Planning docket.
Others include Dr Swabah Ahmed Omar (Health Services), Daniel Otieno Manyala (Transport and Infrastructure), Emily Achieng Okello (Water, Natural Resources and Climate Change Resilience) and Mohamed Hussein Mohamed (Lands, Housing and Urban Planning).
Also sworn in were Kenneth Muigai (Public Service Administration, Youth, Gender, Social Services and Sports) Kibibi Abdallah Khamis (Blue Economy Agriculture and Livestock) and Mohamed Osman who will now lead the Tourism, Culture and Trade department.
Speaking after presiding over the swearing-in ceremony, Nassir called on his new cabinet to strive to deliver on his manifesto.
“I and my deputy have never rested since we were sworn into office, I urge all of you to take up the mantle and ensure that we deliver services to the people of Mombasa,” he said.
Nassir said that he will strive to ensure that the Mombasa people are united.
He called on the CECMs to ensure that they engage the public through public participation as they go in discharging their duties as per the constitution and the county governments Act.
His deputy said there will be no room to sit in offices as he called on the executives to ensure that they are in the field serving wananchi.
Thoya, who has been handed the Environment and Solid Waste and Management docket, is nicknamed ‘Magufuli’ for his no-nonsense stand when it comes to service delivery.
“There will be no room to enjoy the AC in your offices. We need to be at the grassroots serving the Mombasa people. The people have high expectations of us,” he said.
Mombasa county assembly speaker Aharub Khatri promised that the assembly will support the executive to deliver on their mandate to the people.
The speaker was very categorical that the vetting process was flawless disputing any form of bribery to the MCAs to approve any nominee.
"I have faith in my assembly because I know it is full of people who respect the law,” Khatri said.
He challenged the new CECMs to put the interest of the Mombasa people first in their discharge of duties.