Riddle of 62-year-old 'expert female sweeper' jolts Kisii committee probe

A 62-year-old contracted Kisii County female janitor was Monday afternoon cited among the glaring recruitment incompetence of the Kisii County's besieged Public Service Board officials.

Retiree Mellen Bisonga, the board officials told the Kisii County Assembly Labour Committee, had special kills in 'sweeping' crowded places', making her regular re-engagement by the administration tenable.

The janitor, a board official said, was re-engaged twice despite age concerns.

From a salary of Sh6000, Bisonga's earnings allegedly grew quickly in the subsequent re-engagements between Sh 15,000 and Sg 21,000 before her exit a fortnight ago.

Bisonga was reportedly employed by the municipal council of Kisii in 2010 on a 3-year contract before she was later re-engaged in 2020 for another 3 years.

Bisonga and several other suspected irregularly recruited County staff form part of the ongoing probe by the Labour Committee at the Kisii Assembly.

The committee is led by Nyacheki MCA Naftal Onkoba.

It has been holding special sittings probing the systemic weakness in the recruitment procedures of staff into the County administration.

Onkoba is assisted by Onchonga Saizi (Sensi), Peter Otachi (Monyerero), Lilian Omundi (Nominee), Celestine Mose (Nominee), Denis Ombachi (Marani) and Jacob Bagaka (Masige East, also Deputy Speaker)

The Board is tasked, to among other things, explain the presence of more other senior officers in the service at the county despite reaching their mandatory age.

The sittings entered their sixth day Monday. The hearings began Tuesday last week.

Since Tuesday the labour committee has been facing the public board officials and their lawyers in a largely tense session.

The Board members are keen to ward off the plan to kick them out following the petition submitted by Benson Atika, a trader.

Atika, among other things, accuses the board officials of engaging in the arbitrary recruitment of staff without proper adherence to the law.

He also speaks of the officials ignoring and disregarding the requirement for open and transparent recruitment of public servants.

He indicts the board for the recruitment of staff past the mandatory retirement age.

In light of the suspicious recruitment which bloated the County workforce, Atika in his submissions argues for a serious violation of the constitution.

The members are being grilled for gross misconduct in the performance of their duties.

The Board members put on defence include Nancy Nyamwange (board chair) Bogonko Ondiba, Mogusu Momanyi, Machuka Ndege and Omare Nyakerario.

The hearings continue.