- It is a critical position, whose occupier is considered the third most powerful person after the governor and his deputy in the devolved unit's pecking order.
- The post has become the centre of interest of key elected leaders and influential individuals from across the six constituencies of Siaya.
- Anxiety
Image: DICKENS WASONGA
As Siaya County awaits the task force report in less than two weeks' time , focus shifts to whether the findings will have a bearing on who will hold the County secretary's office.
The position considered the third most powerful after the governor and deputy in the devolved unit's pecking order has become the centre of interest of key elected leaders and influential individuals from across the six constituencies of Siaya.
In the build-up to the August 9 polls, the position featured prominently among those dangled to woo support through the regional balance arithmetic.
Regions such as Gem are already claiming that the position belongs to them as per the pre-polls pledges.
Ugenya, which is Governor James Orengo's homeground is also claiming the post is theirs while a section of leaders and opinion shapers from Alego Usonga constituency wants the position retained there.
Siaya County has six subcounties; Gem, Bondo, Rarieda, Ugenya, Alego Usonga and Ugunja.
Ugenya already has the governor position, with the deputy governor slot taken by Alego Usonga.
Bondo has the senate seat held by Oburu Oginga while Rarieda has the speaker's position held by George Okode.
Gem has the woman representative seat held by ChristineOmbaka.
Ugunja which was carved -out of the greater Ugenya is assumed to have had its share in the plum position of governor.
The issue of picking the holder of the position of county secretary using the regions is not new in Siaya.
Former Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga in May 2016 rejected the push by a section of MCAs at that time to have the appointment of the county secretary pegged on regional balance.
Rasanga had appointed Dave Anyona ( from Homa Bay County) to replace Kepher Marube who had stepped aside to pave the way for investigation after he was mentioned in former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s graft report .
In 2016, the assembly rejected the names of the two nominees appointed by Rasanga and referred them back.
The MCAs rejected Olango Onudi( who had been nominated as CEC health) and Dave Anyona ( as county secretary) though qualified, due to lack of balanced regional representation.
Rasanga had his way and Anyona became the third county secretary after Marube who had taken over from Caleb Ongoma who was the first occupier of that office.
Before his appointment as county secretary, Joseph Ogutu was the chief officer in the department of governance.
He was later appointed substantively to the office.
At the height of the alleged Sh 400 million heist that hit Siaya County government in September last year, a section of MPs from the county mounted pressure to have him kicked out.
Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi even threatened to mobilse 10,000 residents to kick Ogutu out of office.
He claimed Siaya had been subjected to public ridicule following the expose of the rot at the County treasury which extended to the office of the County secretary.
Amidst the agitation, governor Orengo formed a seven-member committee, led by retired auditor general Edward Ouko to conduct system audit and governance reforms covering Rasanga's last two financial years in office.
The report will be made public on January 20, 2023 according to the task force chairman.