Trans Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya has given the County Executive Committee members powers to control their departments in collaboration with their Chief Officers.
Speaking at the county headquarters in a swearing-in ceremony for the new CECs, Natembeya said there has been a trend in county governments where most of the chief officers denied the CECs information on matters of finance causing a supremacy battle between the two senior-most officers in the county.
Those sworn for the CEC positions include Truphosa Otwala(County Secretary), Samson Ojwang (Public Service Management), Patrick Gacheru(Water), Janerose Mutama (Lands), Jackson Amboka (Energy) and Public Works) and Pepela Wanjala (Health Services).
Others are Julie Kichwen (Education), Phanice Khatundi (Agriculture), Charlene Kittony (Youth and Gender) and Stanley Kirui (Trade).
Natembeya retained Boniface Wanyonyi in his government and transferred him from lands where he had served during Governor Patrick Khaemba’s administration. The humbled Wanyonyi will be in charge of the finance docket.
The Governor said that the chief officers will be reporting to the CECs as stipulated in the law.
“Chief officers who think they will be superior to CECs and deny them information on how the public funds have been spent, they have no room in my administration. This is the new administration with new things,’’ said Natembeya.
The governor however challenged the new CECs to dedicate their time and serve the people of Trans Nzoia. He directed them to report to Kenya School of Government in Kabarnet for an induction course to enable them sharpen operation skills at the county after next week.
Natembeya called on the outgoing CECs to immediately hand over offices in order for the new officers to begin their work immediately and further assured the Early Child Development Education (ECDE) teachers that they will be employed on permanent and pensionable terms and improve their scheme of service.
Concerning land issues, Natembeya said his administration will hire more enforcement officers to help evict grabbers from public land meant for town expansion.
Mike Musungu is a reporter at Radio Simba in Bungoma and a correspondent of Trans Nzoia County for the Western Kenya Times.