Wrangles erupt over county offices

Rows over offices have emerged between governors-elect and Office of the President officials in counties countrywide even before the devolved governments start taking shape.

Governors-elect are also locked in a tussle with county commissioners over their accommodation, prompting the Transition Authority to urge the parties to reach a negotiated settlement on the issue of premises.

This comes as the authority’s chairman, Mr Kinuthia Wamwangi, postponed the swearing-in of governors-elect by a week — from this Wednesday to March 27 — to provide for any petitions that may be filed to challenge the election of the county chief executive officers.

“Everybody should be respected. We are urging county commissioners, where possible, to provide office space on a negotiated basis in the interim. What we do refuse is a governor-elect trying to evict a county commissioner,” he said.

A survey by the Nation revealed that wrangles over housing and offices have hit Nyandarua, Kakamega, Nyeri and Machakos, among other counties, after failure by the Transitional Authority to find space for governors-elect.

Mr Wamwangi said his team wants harmonious co-existence between the elected officials and county commissioners deployed to counties to provide national services.

Co-exist peacefully

“The Transitional Authority is not for county governments only, it is for both. It is in our interest that the two governments co-exist peacefully and without any problems. The county commissioners are there (counties) by right,” he said.

The Transitional Authority is racing against time to ensure the basic structure for county governments is in place by the time the governors-elect are sworn into office.

In most of the counties, offices of the municipal councils and town halls are being refurbished for use by governors and to house county assemblies.

In some few counties, the Transitional Authority has been forced to put up buildings from the scratch.

Mr Wamwangi said they wanted governors-elect to take charge of their counties and will initially be given Sh30 million to establish their offices and start offering services to the public.

“We will give them (governors-elect) money to start. They can rent houses if they do not want what we have provided for them,” he said.
Speaking in Kericho town during a consultative meeting with recently-elected members of the County Assembly, Mr Wamwangi attributed the hastily-planned ‘inaugurations’ organised by counties across the nation to a misinterpretation of constitutional provisions.

Reported by Benjamin Muindi, Bernard Namunane and Timothy Kemei