Ngilu under fire for naming Garissa official as county secretary

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu's has justified her decision to appoint a county commissioner as the county secretary after getting sharp criticism from her MCAs. 

Speaking to the media in her boardroom on Thursday evening, Ngilu said the county assembly was notorious of 'guillotining' her appointees. 

“They wanted me to present my appointee so they could guillotine him just like they have done in the past. I beat them at their own game by getting [Garissa county commissioner] Joshua Chepchieng from the national government,” the governor said.

The governor was reacting to a protest by the county assembly Majority leader Peter Kilonzo saying she had violated the law by appointing a Chepchieng without the assembly’s vetting.

Kilonzo had told a press conference in his office that MCAs were shocked and dumbfounded on Wednesday when Ngilu introduced the Garissa official as the new county secretary.

“I took Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka and his team to pay a courtesy call on Governor Ngilu where she introduced Chepchieng who had started working.  It was irregular for Ngilu to make such an appointment without involving the assembly,” he said.

Kilonzo, who was in the company on his deputy Colleta Ivia and three other MCAs, said Chepchieng was unwanted in Kitui and the assembly would not allow him to work or be paid from county coffers.  

“He is not also qualified for secondment since he is more than seven years older than the ceiling age for secondments allowed by law; 55 years. He should pack his things and leave Kitui,” Kilonzo said, adding that the assembly may be forced to head to court over the matter.

But Ngilu said the MCAs were making noise because she has circumvented them on the appointment of a substantive county secretary. The county has had an acting secretary for more than three years. 

“I followed the law and Chepchieng cannot be vetted by the assembly since he is on secondment,” she said.

Ngilu said she had tried to get a suitable person locally but those who were qualified were unhappy with the remuneration offered. 

“We now have Chepchieng with a wealth of experience in public service and management. He is a former Kitui County Commissioner and knows Kitui very well." 

Edited by R.Wamochie