Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has said he will not be bullied into sacking 20 senior officers implicated in graft by a report of the county assembly.
The officers are alleged to have been involved in the loss of construction material and cash valued at more than Sh300 million.
Sang has been under pressure from MPs in the region to implement the assembly report and dismiss those named.
Senator Samson Cherargei and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter on Monday accused the governor of refusing to sack those named.
The lawmakers said Sang was instead protecting the officials implicated in corruption.
“He should have fired them long ago,” Cheragei said at a meeting in Nandi Hills area where Keter also pushed for the officers' dismissal.
But Sang brushed off the two saying they are engaging in sideshows that are not helpful to the county.
The county boss said he had acted on his own volition and suspended some of those suspected but due process has to be followed if anyone has to be sacked.
“I have acted on all issues raised, suspended those mentioned, allowed the DCI to investigate graft claims and formed a task force to investigate other allegations. The process is ongoing. The law has to be followed in all that I will do,” Sang said.
The county boss said he was the head of the county and would always act independently and as per the law.
“I can't allow politicians to push me to undertake what is against the law. We must be fair and follow the law in all we do,” Sang said.
Sang said the procedure of sacking of such officers is well defined in the law.
“The matter is already with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and I am expecting their report on the matter,” Sang said.
The governor said he had also constituted a task force to investigate the matter and that it is expected to deliver its report this week.
“I do also await a report from the DCI and that of the task force. I will be able to share with the public the findings of the three groups and act appropriately in accordance with the law,” he said.
He said the procedure for the removal of county executives by the county assembly was well defined.
“It should be through an impeachment process. The assembly should, therefore, escalate the matter to that level,” the county boss said.
Sand said the removal of chief officers is through the County Public Service Board.
The report by the ad hoc committee of the assembly had also recommended a lifestyle audit of 11 senior officers and proposed that some of those mentioned should be investigated by the anti-corruption agency.
When the report was put to a vote, 38 MCAs endorsed it. Only four voted against it.
“The governor should implement recommendations of the assembly to start the fight against graft in Nandi and improve services," MCA Emmanuel Mengech who led the assembly committee said.
The MCAs insist that those implicated in the report must be fired.
(edited by O. Owino)
