Isiolo resident wants assembly to reject 31 chief officers

A resident has petitioned the Isiolo County Assembly to reject a list of 31 chief officers recently unveiled by Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo over alleged irregularities in the process.

Mr Mugambi Mugabe cited unmet two-third gender principle that requires that not more than two-third of appointments be of the same gender, lack of adequate representation of minority and marginalized groups and duplication of departmental roles among the violations.

In a petition seen by the Nation, Mr Mugabe says some of the nominees in the final list shared on March 2 were not among the 203 shortlisted for interviews conducted in late November and December, opening the lid on what he terms last-minute injection of their names into the final list.

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The petitioner has also poked holes into the bloated number that he says will expand the wage bill to the detriment of the electorates who direly need development.

“If big moneyed counties such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Marsabit have deployed less than 26 chief officers, who are we to deploy over 30 chief officers?” he asks in the petition addressed to Speaker Mohammed Roba Qoto.

He wants the MCAs to reject the list and order the governor to amend it so that it meets constitutional provisions.

Mr Guyo has retained three chief officers who served in former Governor Mohamed Kuti’s Cabinet: Ms Lucy Kaburu (Trade), Ibrahim Chala (Tourism) and Agriculture’s Salad Tutana.

The list, whose vetting and approval is scheduled for March 15 at the county assembly, also has a medic, Mohammud Abdikadir who unsuccessfully contested for Isiolo North MP seat in the August elections.

The county boss has introduced, among others, the Renewable Energy, Mining, Executive office of the Governor, Small and Medium Enterprises, Revenue Services, Devolved Units and Inspectorate, Public Participation and Intergovernmental and Donor Relations departments.