Name Nakuru Sports minister, groups tell Governor Kinyanjui

Civil society groups in Nakuru want Governor Lee Kinyanjui to appoint a substantive County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Sports, Youth and Gender.

The People's Power Watch group and Nakuru Town Residents Association in a joint statement on Tuesday, urged Governor Kinyanjui to make the appointment, saying this is a crucial docket that needs to be filled up.

People's Power Watch group chairman Jesse Karanja urged Mr Kinyanjui to appoint a minister who has the interest of the youth at heart.

“We call upon Governor Kinyanjui to move swiftly and appoint a substantive CEC to the docket to fast-track the youth agenda and interests in his administration. We also ask him to nominate a youth-friendly person to that position,” said Mr Karanja.

GROSS MISCONDUCT

In November 2018, Governor Kinyanjui sacked Ms Halima Gababa who was the Sports minister over what he termed as “gross misconduct”.

Mr Kinyanjui then appointed county Trade, Cooperatives and Tourism CEC Peter Ketyenya to act in that position.

The move came after angry youth petitioned the county assembly to investigate the conduct of Ms Gababa, claiming that she had violated the law, and failed to diligently execute her functions and exercise authority of her office as required by law.

PROBE

After investigations, the governor said she had been found culpable of gross misconduct.

The two groups have now urged Mr Kinyanjui not to “repeat the blunder” and instead nominate a person who will help in fighting unemployment among the youth in the county.

The call for a county Sports minister comes at a time when Governor Kinyanjui’s administration seeks to construct a Sh20 million modern sports complex and a training camp for athletics and other sports in Keringet, in Kuresoi South Constituency.

The sports complex is poised to be the first of its kind in the region.