It's not business as usual as Kinyanjui settles into office

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui during a press briefing in his office in Nakuru. The county boss has sent senior officials on compulsory leave in what he termed as a move to change the current state of affairs. PHOTO | AYUB MUIYURO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kinyanjui said the decision was driven by the fact that the wage bill was so high and revenue collection had dropped.
  • The county boss also halted procurement functions for the next 30 days
  • Mr Kinyanjui further put on notice the County Public Service Board members who he said have been adversely mentioned in recruitment malpractices.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has sent on compulsory leave top county officials in what he termed as a move to change the current state of affairs in the county.

Addressing the press Monday on his first day in office, the county boss said his government had instituted special financial and human resource audit to ensure fresh and effective service delivery.

Mr Kinyanjui, who was flanked by his Deputy Dr Eric Korir said the decision was driven by the fact that the wage bill was so high yet revenue collection had dropped.

In the last financial year, revenue collection dropped by 1.9 billion yet the wage bill stood at 5.3 billion, a state that the new governor attributed to corruption in key departments relating to finance and procurement.

SENIOR OFFICIALS

Among those sent on compulsory leave include the Director of Finance Wilson Mungai, Director of Procurement Eliezar Ngarari, Head of Enforcement Joseph Kiara, Deputy Head of Enforcement Charles Nyanaro and the Head of Accounts Dan Odundo.

In addition to these senior officials, all sub-county and ward administrators and their deputies were also sent home.

Governor Kinyanjui also announced immediate replacement of the County Secretary, Joseph Motari who has been in office for the past four and half years under Kinuthia Mbugua’s administration.

“We shall have Mr Motari returning to the National Government where he was previously," he said, adding that he (Motari) will be replaced by Benjamin Njoroge, a former Deputy County Commissioner for Changamwe on an acting capacity.

The county boss also halted procurement functions for the next 30 days, only allowing exceptions in rare cases where the required goods or services are an emergency

CLEAN UP

The governor said officers sent on leave will be required to hand over office to the acting County Secretary with immediate effect.

“This will give us an opportunity to clean up the system which has been infested with cartels," he said, adding that country resources had been critically drained through fictitious payments of non-delivered or substandard goods, overpriced tenders, incomplete projects and bribery.

Mr Kinyanjui further put on notice the County Public Service Board members who he said have been adversely mentioned in recruitment malpractices.

He pointed out that his office was aware of an erratic hiring of staff that had been carried out in the last four months by the current board.

“The current board has been adversely and regularly mentioned in recruitment malpractices including bribery and sexual exploitation. Business shall not be usual…this must come to an end,” he said.

He said they will be conducting a biometric head count as a way of managing the wage bill.

Mr Kinyanjui said the announcement of his cabinet will be made by Wednesday this week.