Activist faults Siaya Board for employing political rejects

A rights activist has faulted the Siaya County Public Service Board (SCPSB) for subjecting job seekers to an alleged mediocre process for seven months only to hire the "politically correct".

Accordingly, Executive Director of the Community Initiative Action Group Kenya (CIAG Kenya) Chris Owala wants the board disbanded and an apology given to job seekers and members of the public by the Siaya County Governor James Orengo.

"This was the highest level of mediocrity that we witnessed in a recruitment process. The county government needs to take responsibility for wasting people's time because they had people earmarked for positions," Owala said.

Last year, the SCPSB advertised some 380 job vacancies in the devolved unit.

The positions included those of the resource mobilisation officer, county youth and women coordinators, public relations officer, information management officers, enforcement officer, county police analysis and research coordinator, innovation coordinator, office assistants, support staff, strategic service delivery officer, among many others.

Owala argued that the county government of Siaya will be struggling to shoulder a huge wage bill to pay staff that "doesn't add value to the people of Siaya".

Amongst the individuals whose names are appearing in the list of "successful candidates" are former members of the county assembly (MCAs), an ex-cabinet member in the administration of first governor Cornel Rasanga and notable grassroot leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

The activist aver that it is unfair for the SCPSB to recycle political rejects and children of politicians at the expense of more deserving jobless youth ad persons living with disabilities.

The former MCAs who have been hired include Fredrick Opanga and Linda Juma who will serve as County Youth Coordinator and Information Management Officer respectively.

Jaoko Oburu, one of Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga and the immediate former Siaya County roads executive has also been confirmed by the board as the Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Coordinator.

Owala noted that , in the spirit of transparency, CIAG Kenya had written to the Board seeking to be furnished with both the long and the shortlist of applicants, the marks that each candidate scored and the reason why a candidate was possibly considered for a position.

Their letters were not reverted, he said, adding that can only "mean that they are hiding something".

"The board should be able to avail a detailed report showing how a particular individual faired in the interview and explain whether issues of gender or regional balance, for example, were considered in preferring a candidate over another," Owala told The Star.

During the interviews, some candidates were subjected to written interviews.

Owala believes that the SCPSB had no capacity (human resource) to competently go through the candidates responses and pick the best.

He claimed that most of the 'successful candidates' have either been given jobs that they did not apply for or did not attend any interview.

"Some people paid bribes and were added even after the interview period was over," Owala said.

This goes against the spirit of recruitment, he said, explaining that vacancies are supposed to be filled by applicants with requisite experiences and academic qualifications as advertised.

The active citizen has since written to the Acting SCPSB chairman, county attorney, county secretary and governor Orengo seeking an explanation why the Acting board CEO/Secretary Wilfred Nyagudi has acted for too long beyond the constitutionally stipulated six months ceiling.

"It has come to our attention that the CEO of the SCPSB has surpassed the stipulated acting (period) of six months... We ask the SCPSB to take mandate and enforce the law," Owala's letter of July 25, 2023 to the above-mentioned offices reads.

Section 34(3) of the Public Service Commission Act No. 10 of 2017 provides that "an officer may be appointed in an acting capacity for a period of at least 30 days but not exceeding a period of six months".

Responding to the issue, the Acting CEO Nyagudi confirmed that indeed he has acted for more than six months but said that it is not within the jurisdiction of the board to confirm him.

"The process of Recruitment of a Board CEO is stipulated in the County Governments ( Amendment ) Act No.1 of 2020 and it's clear that it's not the role of the Board to do so," he responded.

Nyagudi asserted, however, that "there is nothing illegal on the side of the officer to Act for more than six months".

He added: "The fact that I have acted in that job for more than six months is an administrative and professional injustice unto myself. Basically, I should just be confirmed in that position as per the HR procedures".

Also, Owala wants governor Orengo to initiate the recruitment of a new board chairman following the demise of Elijah Achoch a few months ago.

In the same vain, Owala accused the board CEO of usurping the powers of other board members and "running the SCPSB like his personal property".

Nyagudi disagreed with Owala's assertion, saying that the recruitment process was very fair all through.

"The recruitment process was very fair. What you are hearing is a mere witch-hunt by some partisan lobby group to turnish the name of the SCPSB," Nyagudi said.

Governor Orengo's press director Benjamin Agina dismissed the assertion that the county boss should apologise.

Agina said that the governor, by law, has no role to play in the recruitment process other than the proposition on what vacancies exists and those that should be advertised by the SCPSB.

"The CPSB has the sole mandate to hire staff that it seems fit to take up certain positions. The board remains the employer of the county staff and as the County Government of Siaya, we are subject to it's rules and regulations," Agina said on behalf of governor Orengo.

He noted that the role of the executive (Orengo) ends at the point at which " we propose to them to advertise for vacancies as they arise".