• Through Sono's Executive Order, Kerich will supervise all 10 departments at City Hall and coordinate programmes and projects.
• Kerich appeared before the Senate's Public Accounts Committee in August on Sonko's behalf.
In 18 months. at City Hall, former Star editor in chief Charles Kerich has become Governor Mike Sonko's most trusted ally in the Nairobi government.
Throughout Sonko's random and numerous cabinet reshuffles, Kerich has served in four different dockets since 2017 — ICT, Lands and Housing, Health and Finance. He left the Star in 2017.
It's no surprise, then, that the serious — no-n onsenseman — man was appointed by Sonko as his 'super CEC, a county equivalent to 'super minister' Interior CS Fred Matiang'i in the Cabinet.
Through an Executive Order by Sonko, Kerich will supervise all 10 departments at City Hall, implementing and coordinating programmes and projects.
Sonko said it was necessary to appoint someone for the proper discharge of executive authority across the county.
Kerich will evaluate the follow-up in all sectors and priority programmes and ensure the city attains its targets.
He will present progress reports to the governor and perform other necessary functions.
Kerich worked in the media for more than 20 years until November 2017, when he was sworn-in as ICT and e-government executive.
In February last year, he was moved to the Lands docket, replacing Peter Njuguna who had been moved to the Agriculture in the first reshuffle.
Less than two months later, he was appointed acting Finance executive after the sacking of Danvas Makori.
He became the first Finance executive to pass the county's budget under Sonko's administration.
During his tenure, it was revealed that Sh297.5 million bursary funds were accidentally transferred into the county’s Maryland Health Donor Fund instead of the bursary fund. Kerich said accountants erroneously picked the health donor fund account instead of the bursary account.
It was evident, however, that Sonko had complete trust in Kerich when he appeared before the Senate's Public Accounts Committee in August on his behalf, although he was turned away. Senators wanted to see the governor himself.
This time around, the governor released Kerich from Finance duties after appointing Allan Igambi to head the docket.
Following the Pumwani Maternity furore in which 11 dead babies were found hidden in a room at the facility, Kerich was appointed as acting health CEC after Vesca Kagongo was sacked over "insubordination" in the Pumwani saga.
It was under his watch— and Sonko's orders — that the Pumwani transformation took place. The hospital now has a cold room, two new delivery wards with a capacity of 100 beds, a new oxygen plant and a modern surgical unit for deliveries.
Kerich also gazetted the new health management boards to run the city’s four top hospitals — Pumwani, Mbagathi, Mama Lucy and Mutuini.
All along, he was still serving as the substantive CEC for Lands.
In March, Mohammed Dagane was moved to the Health docket, relieving Kerich of the extra duties. He was moved to head Finance.
Winfred Kathagu filled in the vacancy in the Lands docket.
Last month Kerich took charge of the transition process from Jambo Pay to the county's internally managed revenue system, despite the presence of the ICT and e-government executive.
For the second time, Kerich read the budget.
(Edited by Elud Kibii)