Council workers to retain jobs under devolved units
PHOTO | DIANA NGILA County Transition Authority chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi during an interview at his Kenyatta International Conference Centre office. He has said local authorit workers will retain their jobs under the devolved governments.
What you need to know:
- He asked workers in regions such as Nakuru, where former municipal council workers protested over their new status recently, to continue working as they did before the elections.
- Under the Urban Areas and Cities Act, Nairobi and other towns will be vested in the county government and administered on its behalf by an 11-member board, six of whom shall be appointed through a competitive process by the county executive committee with the approval of the county assembly.
All workers under the defunct local authorities will now be absorbed by county governments.
Transitional Authority boss Kinuthia Wamwangi told the Nation Wednesday that Local Government accounts would soon be closed and funds transferred to county units.
All the money collected would then be banked in the new accounts as county funds.
“They (workers) are now working as county staff. The local governments were abolished on March 4 so whatever they are doing, they are doing for and on behalf of county governments,” said Mr Wamwangi.
He asked workers in regions such as Nakuru, where former municipal council workers protested over their new status recently, to continue working as they did before the elections.
“I want to be very clear because the county staff are misleading themselves (when they claim to be out of work). I usually make it clear to them but they get misguided by other people,” he said.
He stated: “The same officers are collecting money which is to be banked in the county accounts.”
Concerns have emerged about counties that had several councils within them running the affairs of smaller towns.
For instance, Kiambu County had councils in Thika, Kiambu, Lari, Ruiru and Limuru while Uasin Gishu had councils in Eldoret and Wareng.
Bungoma had Webuye and Kimilili councils.
New law
Mr Wamwangi said the counties would be reorganised into county governments under the Urban Areas and Cities Act.
“A town like Limuru will have an administrator, but not the county council. The administrator will be answerable to the governor.”
Under the Urban Areas and Cities Act, Nairobi and other towns will be vested in the county government and administered on its behalf by an 11-member board, six of whom shall be appointed through a competitive process by the county executive committee with the approval of the county assembly.
The Act requires that the six represent an umbrella agency comprising professional associations, the private sector, a cluster representing registered associations of the informal sector, a cluster representing registered neighbourhood associations and an association of urban areas and cities.
