Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago is on a warpath with MCAs after they formed a committee to probe alleged irregular employment by the county government.
The MCAs have resolved to summon officials of the county Public Service Board and the county executive in charge of personnel to explain alleged favouritism in the hirings.
Kapsoya MCA Isaac Kemboi tabled a motion seeking explanations on 10 of the alleged irregular employments.
Leader of Majority at the Assembly Josphat Lowoi said the wage bill in the county was increasing very fast and there was a need to probe what was happening.
Lowoi said a report on the same would be tabled at the assembly by September 5.
The MCAs claim that the wage bill at the county government has exceeded 35 per cent of county budget contrary to the law.
Kemboi said MCAs wanted clarity about the alleged existence of ghost workers in the county and the state of the entire payroll of the county.
They also want to know measures taken to reduce the wage bill, the total number of employees and records including payroll for casuals and those on contract.
“We also want to know the list of those employed since 2017 including the entire recruitment process by the Public Service Board,” Kemboi said.
MCAs said the assembly had the mandate to approve and oversight any employees but they were in darkness about the hirings.
Kiplombe MCA Ramadhan Ali claimed that the county government had excess staff and those concerned must be summoned to explain how this came to happen.
The MCAs differed with Mandago after they passed a new law under which they will control more than 40 per cent of the county development funds.
The law was approved and gazetted without the governor's approval.
Speaker of the assembly David Kiplagat directed that since it was a weighty matter touching on national laws and the Constitution, the committee should interrogate it and report to the House by September.
MCAs Julius Sang (Megun), Sarah Malel (Kimumu) and Pius Kigen who chairs the Public Service Committee supported the move saying there was a public outcry over irregularities in employment by the county government.
(edited by O. Owino)
