I'm ready to leave Sh880,000 pay for Sh350,000: Homa Bay CEC nominee
Homa Bay County Health Executive Committee member nominee Roselyn Omolo takes an oath before being vetted by the House on October 24, 2022.
A Homa Bay County Executive Committee member-nominee has shocked the vetting panel by declaring she is ready to resign from her current job that pays her Sh880,000 per month to take up a role in the local government, where she will earn less than Sh350,000.
Ms Roselyn Omolo, nominated by Governor Gladys Wanga to head the Health docket, said she wants to relocate to her home county to work for 'her people'.
She also explained that the cost of living is lower in Homa Bay.
Ms Omolo said the cost of basic commodities was too high in Nairobi.
"The cost of living is rather lower in Homa Bay than in Nairobi. I am therefore ready to relocate and work within my county, where the cost of living is affordable," she said.
The candidate, a trained communication expert, was the first to appear before the vetting committee at the assembly on Monday morning.
She was found not to have an education background in health, the docket she was nominated to head.
Ms Omolo now works in the office of the Speaker of the Senate as a director.
She previously worked at the Kenya National Library Service.
The vetting committee, led by its chairman, Speaker Julius Gaya, asked the nominee how she will relate to doctors, nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technicians and other healthcare workers when her education background and work experience do not relate to health.
She responded that she interacted with health professionals when she worked at the Council of Governors, saying this gave her experience on handling health matters and has linkages that will enable her to identify health partners.
Welfare of health workers
"I will prioritise the welfare of health workers. The main challenge affecting the county is human resources," Ms Omolo said.
Other committee members include Majority Leader and Kwabwai MCA Richard Ogindo, his Kanyaluo counterpart Jeff Ongoro, Kanyamwa Kosewe MCA Nicholas Owaka and Homa Bay Town Central MCA Monoflorita Ondiek.
The committee asked the nominee how she will address theft of drugs, delayed salaries for health workers and other challenges.
She promised to digitise health records for tracing diseases to ensure proper interventions.
"My goal is to make health reach World Health Organisation standards," Ms Omolo said.
Worth Sh20 million
She put her net worth at Sh20 million.
Another candidate who caught the committee by surprise was Dr Joash Aloo, who was nominated to head Water and Sanitation.
He said that until his name was publicly mentioned as a nominee and presented to the county assembly, he had not developed interest in the job.
“I did not expect to be nominated. Nevertheless, I have accepted the offer,” he said.
Part of his responsibility will be to end perennial water shortages.
Another person to be vetted is Martin Opere, nominated for Education.
He is the deputy chairperson of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association and Principal of Fr Tillen Secondary School in Mbita town.
Mr Opere said he wants to improve the quality of early childhood education and vocational training.
There have been concerns about low enrolment in vocational training centres in the county as young people shy away from technical training.
Many who desire such training go to technical training institutes under the national government.
Mr Opere said that if approved, he will work to improve the quality of training so as to encourage more enrolment.
"There must be tools used for training. Tutors must also be people who are well trained," he said.
He also said he would provide food to children, which Governor Wanga promised during the election campaigns.
"We shall have a model classroom in every ward. Tutors at the institutions should also be trained on what they do,” Mr Opera said.
He said his net worth is Sh9 million, including commercial plots in Mbita town.
Another candidate, Danish Onyango, nominated for Roads, said his main task will be to make rural roads motorable.
Some of the roads, especially in rural communities, become impassable when it rains.
He said he will work with the national government to improve the road network in the county.
“My 30 years’ work experience in the Ministry of Roads has enabled me to influence the construction of some roads in the county. I will continue with this spirit,” Mr Onyango said.
Mr Solomon Obiero, nominated for Finance, said he will introduce reforms in the department.
