September through October has been recruitment time for the county governments. However, is there any serious consideration of qualifications vis-à-vis service delivery?
Under the County Government Act No 17 of 2012, members of the County Executive are expected to be professionally qualified, conversant with and sufficiently experienced in the dockets for which they apply. Why, then, have the counties not witnessed progressive service delivery?
A governor’s appointees should demonstrate a need to make good his or her vision within at least five years. Tied to that success, therefore, is effective vetting and approval by county assembly appointments committees.
Article 232 of the Constitution demands that the national and county public service be professional, ethical, accountable, and responsive to the needs and diversity of Kenya by upholding national values enshrined under Article 10. The county public service boards derive their authority to recruit from Section 56 of the County Government Act and Article 235 of the Constitution.
Similarly, a county assembly service board establishes offices and builds their capacity in order to serve and facilitate the county assembly in discharging its mandate of Article 96. The county assembly service boards have a better framework courtesy of the first Senate, which enacted the County Assembly Service Act ( 2017 ).
There has been lots of panic, condemnation and even litigation as newly elected governors assert themselves by seeking to reward their campaign teams with jobs in suspect ways. Meanwhile, services to Wanjiku have been affected due to the uncertainty. The transition has not been smooth, clear-cut and predictable.
It is high time, therefore, that the Senate revisited Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi’s Assumption of the Office of Governor Act 2016, which sought to mirror the Assumption of the Office of President Act, 2012.
Such a Bill would clear the uncertainties, secure assets and avoid the current litigation in many counties.
General evaluation of performance of the county governments between 2013 and 2017 reveals the huge challenges the first County Executive Committees had to overcome in setting up dockets from the local authorities.
Theirs was the rubber that met the road. These teething challenges need not recur or persist whenever there is a change of guard. Second-generation CECs must build on the foundations laid by their predecessors.
For instance, county treasuries must now be able to run reliable and sustainable revenue streams by plugging theft and pilferage loopholes, and ending corruption. Across the 47 counties, public service docket holders must now sign performance contracts, and make follow-up reports.
In Nandi county, it was recently reported that CECs delivered pre-signed resignation letters as a new accountability tool, should they fail in their new responsibilities. In Nyeri, it was reported that the public was unenthusiastic with the appointment of an elderly person to run youth affairs. These cases point to the importance Kenyans attach to such appointments.
It is expected that with former MPs, Cabinet ministers and civil servants now governors, the calibre of county cabinets will improve for better services.
County assemblies must now also show us the way with proactive legislation for environmental stewardship, particularly in solid waste management.
Despite there being a National Solid Waste Management Strategy ( 2014 ), the counties continue to struggle in water management, securing new sources, resource-sharing, catchment protection and infrastructure development, resulting in increasing conflict.
Burugu is a devolution and governance expert