Civil servants to keep their jobs in counties
What you need to know:
- Council staff will also be retained in new governments, says Mutahi
Thousands of staff in the public service and local authorities are set to retain their jobs even as the government transfers its services to the 47 counties.
This follows recommendations by the Task Force on Devolved Government charged with drafting laws to implement the chapter on devolution in the new Constitution.
The taskforce also waters down the power and influence currently wielded by mayors of cities and municipalities in the country, instead transferring the bulk of their functions to other bodies.
The recommendations, contained in the taskforce’s final report released on Monday, ends the anxiety among thousands of civil servants who had feared that they would lose their jobs as the 47 county governments start hiring their own staff and local authorities cease to exist.
Local Government permanent secretary Karega Mutahi also announced a decision by President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga that all staff working in local authorities would be absorbed in the county governments.
“The two principals have given the assurance that all staff of local authorities will be accommodated in the transitional structure of county governments,” Prof Mutahi noted while receiving the report from taskforce chairman Mutakha Kangu.
Continue serving
According to the report, the majority of civil servants currently serving in districts, Local Authorities and State corporations will continue serving in the counties where they are stationed until they are redeployed.
During the period of secondment, the affected public officers will be on the payroll of the national government.
It suggests that the Public Service Commission, national government and the Transitional Authority should facilitate redeployment, transfer and secondment of staff between the two levels of government.
