State and county staff scramble for offices and homes

Officers from National Government and those from County Government in various counties have clashed over offices meant to accommodate the governor.

Following the difference the Nandi County commissioner Mrs Mathirita Shakwa and Nandi County governor-elect Dr Cleophas Lagat held a day-long crises meeting and discussed office-sharing after government officials who previously occupied the spacious offices at the county headquarters in Kapsabet were directed to vacate.

Several officers who moved out claimed the offices they were asked to move into were not decent and some had no power and leaked during rainy season.

They accused the county government of wanting to occupy the entire DC’s Complex yet they didn’t have their own offices.

Sources told the Nation that some officers from county government wanted to have the county commissioner vacate her office but she declined and told the governor that the offices allocated to the governor and his staff were more than enough.

Official residence

Attempts to have her vacate the official residence failed and it is still not clear where the governor’s official residence will be.

After the Friday meeting Dr Lagat said: “I held the meeting with the county commissioner to discuss many issues including sharing offices so that I could get ready and settle down for business after swearing-in.”

The row over sharing offices came as more than 20 officials from the central government were posted to work in Nandi County. More officers are still expected to report in the next two weeks.

The clerk to the Nandi county Assembly Barnabas Kosgey said “more than 20 officers have reported to work in Nandi County and more are still expected to report in the next one week.”

Mr Kosgey who was accompanied by the new Sergeant-at-arm Mr Reuben Kiprop said yesterday that the county government would be expected to offer quality service though some of the services would still be handled by the central government.

In Baringo County, County Transitional Authority Coordinator Francis Kariu confirmed that they had received the money and that all was set for the swearing-in of the governor.

County government

“We cannot say that we have all the money to run the county government but as far as the primary issues are concerned all the logistics are in place,” Mr Kariu told the Nation.

He said that the County Transitional Authority was still looking for a suitable place that will be the residence of the governor-elect Benjamin Cheboi.

Mr Kariu said that the former Baringo County Council will be the Governor’s office and his staff while the Municipal Council of Kabarnet will serve as the County Assembly.

President Kibaki appointed the 47 County Commissioners last year, a fact the ODM team of the political divide led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga opposed saying that it was against the law.

The High Court quashed the appointments but the administrators stayed put in their offices most of which were formerly occupied by District Commissioners.

Housing and inadequate funding are some of the challenges facing implementation of County Government in the North Rift region ahead of swearing in of governors next week.

Transition Authority officials in the region yesterday said they were faced with difficulty in securing office and accommodation facilities for the new County staff.

“Housing remains a big challenge,” said Alfred Adongo, Turkana Interim Transition Authority clerk.

He disclosed that the County governor-elect Josephat Nanok will operate from the Arid Lands office, almost two kilometres from Lodwar town, while the County assembly will be at Lodwar County Council hall.

“Arrangements have been finalized for election of speaker and swearing in of county representatives,” said Mr Adongo.

Some of the County officials are expected to operate from as far as Kakuma town due to accommodation crisis in Lodwar town.

In West Pokot County, the governor-elect Simon Kachapin will work from new offices at Kapenguria town while the County Assembly will be based at former Pokot County Council hall.

And governors in Uasin Gishu and Nandi counties might commute from their homes since official residences are yet to be identified.

The government has allocated Sh2 million to each county for the swearing-in of governors and county assemblies next week.

In Kakamega, the Provincial Administration in Western has denounced attempts by a group allied to governor-elect Wycliffe Oparanya to wrestle control of office space and residence of the Provincial Commissioner.

Through an SMS attributed to the PC Mr James Ole Seriani and sent to journalists last night, the administration reiterated that the office and residence are central government property.

Reports by Tom Matoke, Wycliffe Kipsang and Barnabas Bii