City Hall is beset by confusion and running on empty.
Governor Mike Sonko, is operating with half a cabinet, just five executives, and he hasn’t had a deputy in about a year.
Pressure is mounting on the maverick governor to get his house in order, fast.
The cabinet is made up of 10 dockets headed by Executive members. Two of the five remaining in office are handling
various dockets in acting capacities.
Meanwhile, the governor’s communications director Elkana Jacob said work is normal in the county government.
“As we speak, I have started receiving 2019 work plan from chief officers of various departments so work is flowing as normal,” Elkana said.
He also said the chief officers and directors together with their CECs are working to deliver the governor’s manifesto.
Sonko is now left with Allan Igambi, Charles Kerich, Mohammed Dagane, Newton Munene and Larry Wambua.
The original 10 included Emmah Mukuhi (ICT), Peter Njuguna (Agriculture),
Newton Munene (Trade), Allan Igambi (Finance), Hitan Majevdia (Health),Vesca Kangogo (Devolution), Janet Ouko (Education), Mohammed Dagane (Transport), Charles Kerich (Lands) and Larry Wambua (Environment).
A source told the Star the ICT and Agriculture dockets seem to be vacant as it is not known whether executives’ contracts were renewed.
SUSPENDED EXECUTIVES
Last year in August, Sonko suspended Health executive Majevdia and director Thomas Ogaro over laxity and appointed
Vesca Kangogo in an acting capacity.
A month later, Sonko sent home county secretary Peter Kariuki, Kangogo (Health), Health chief officer Mahat Jimale and county attorney Lydia Kwamboka for what he called insubordination.
In June, Vesca had been suspended for travelling to the United States without the governor’s approval.
Sonko then appointed Charles Kerich (Lands) in an acting capacity in the Health docket. His counterpart Larry Wambua (Environment) is holding down Devolution.
Pauline Kahiga, who is the chief officer in the Urban Renewal department, was appointed to acting county secretary. David Aseko became the county’s acting attorney.
On Monday, Janet Ouko (Education) became the first to voluntarily resign, saying she wanted to pursue other interests.
The Nairobi County Public Service Board in October announced vacancies for five executives without specifying the dockets. Through an advert, it said all applications should reach the secretary/CEO of the County Public Service Board by October 19.
Since then nothing has been announced.
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE
Ouko and Dagane have managed to hold on to their dockets. They were sworn in on
November 1 last year.
Kerich has so far served in three dockets: Lands, Health and ICT.
Last November, during a meeting between the
Executive and the Assembly’s Budget committee, MCAs expressed unease concerning expiry of the executive’s contracts.
They said county operations were jeopardised.
Governor Sonko had earlier said all his executives were under a one-year contract, which would be renewed according to their delivery.
It was revealed that Allan Igambi (Finance) had his contract extended by a month. Kerich, Dagane (Transport) and Ouko (Education) attended the meeting. They presented their extension letters that indicated renewal of their contracts. The three were the only ones whose contracts were renewed for four years.
Acting county secretary Pauline Kahiga told the committee that Governor Sonko would make an announcement on the contract extensions, which he never did.
Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok yesterday told the Star the county government of Nairobi is paralysed and dysfunctional. “So far not good. This county is not heading in a good direction and is being managed in a dog system being run without a philosophy.
He condemned Sonko whom he said suspended those who crossed him.
“Being in power does not give you the right to extinguish other people’s profession. You cannot just send home people on allegations or because they do not read from the same page Sonko is reading,” he said.
The Makongeni MCA said he is looking forward to next month when he county assembly resumes its House business after a long recess.
The governor will be expected to deliver a his State of the County address.