- Ngei MCA Redson Otieno had sought to inquire from the Committee of Labour and Social Welfare about the recruitment process that commenced last year March but stalled for months.
- The legislator wanted to know the criteria used by the board in the recruitment of the constables and the outcome of the process.
Image: FILE
In move aimed at reducing its ageing workforce, Nairobi County Government has recruited 1,100 county constables.
The Nairobi County Public Service Board has already issued appointment letters to 800 county constables and 300 firefighters.
Responsibilities assigned to constables include to maintain law, regulations and order as directed.
Ngei MCA Redson Otieno had inquired from the Committee of Labour and Social Welfare about the recruitment process that commenced last year March but stalled for several months.
The legislator wanted to know the criteria used by the board in the recruitment of the constables and the outcome of the process.
Otieno also wanted to know the steps that the county executive took to ensure that all the qualified persons called to collect their appointment letters were handed their letters.
In the response, committee chairperson Anthony Ngaruiya said the board commenced recruitment by advertising the positions in the local dailies dated March 4, 2020 and in the board's website.
"At the close of the application notice period, the board had received 20,688 applications for the position of county constables and 12,347 applications for the position of county firemen and women," he reported.
As a result, the board commenced the exercise of shortlisting and it was successfully done on consideration of the following criteria that is gender, regional diversity, academic qualification and age among others.
The names of shortlisted candidates were then published in the board's website and thereafter the date for interviews were set as from September 9 to 21 and November 5, 2020.
The labour committee chairperson revealed that the candidates were rated through a score card rating tool generated by departmental technical teams.
The 800 county constables and 300 firemen and women who made it were informed and issued with appointment letters.
"The recruits were dispatched to respective sectors for training and the county secretary was advised to factor them in the payroll effective from November 12, 2020.
Verification of documents are currently being investigated to ensure that all qualified persons who were given appointment letters submitted authentic papers.
"No unqualified person will be employed and that the board has written to Kenya National Examination Council and also to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to verify the documents presented to board by the candidates during recruitment," Ngaruiya noted.
A biometric report released by the county government in November 2019 revealed that about a half of City Hall employees are over 50 years.
The report revealed that out of the 11, 603 City Hall workers, 5, 709 are aged 50 years and above with 19 above the retirement age of 60 years.
The report further revealed that only 792 of the employees are below the age of 35 meaning representing only 14 per cent of the workforce.
A total of 2, 712 workers are aged between 55 and 59 years; those aged between 50 and 54 years are 2, 978 while another 2, 663 are in the age bracket of between 45 and 49 years.
The recruitment of the constables will replace those who are heading for retirement.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara