Former NMG editor Guchu Ndung'u nominated for Murang'a chief officer job

Guchu Ndung'u

Mr Leonard Guchu Ndung'u, who has been nominated to be a chief officer in Murang'a government.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata has presented 15 names of chief officer nominees to be vetted by the county assembly.

The names have been presented before the Murang'a County Assembly for vetting next week by the respective committees.

Among those shortlisted is former Nation Media Group (NMG) editor Leonard Guchu Ndung'u, who will be vetted on April 6.

Mr Guchu, who has been shortlisted as chief officer for the Communication and Media docket, is the former Saturday Nation editor. Before that he was the political and parliamentary affairs editor. 

Mr Guchu was also a member of the podcast panel of three looking at the day’s politics, including editors Roselyne Obala and Oliver Mathenge.

Mr Guchu also served as regional editor based in Nyeri.

According to the notice, the vetting of the 15 will be done on April 5 and April 6 and thereafter the reports will be tabled before the House for approval.

Also nominated is Maxwell Fredrick Wambugu (Roads and Housing), Judy Njeri Mbaru (Revenue and Supply Chain Management), Samuel Murigi Mungai (Youth Affairs and Sports), Angela Muani Koko (Culture Gender and Social Services), and Eliud Maina Wanja (Infrastructure and Community Projects) who will appear before the various committees on April 5.

Medical services

The others are Bridget Wairimu Irungu (Water, Irrigation, Environment and Climate Change), James Kamau Thuku (Office of the County Attorney), Edward Irungu Mwangi (Public Service and Administration), Hassan Abdullahi Abdirahman (Governor's Delivery Unit), Kenneth Mukora Kihatu (Medical Services), Josephine Wanjiru Wanjiku (Lands Physical Planning and Urban Development), Dr Apollo Kamau Maina (Agriculture, Livestock and Veterinary Services), Isaac Wanjohi Karoga (Education and Technical Training) and Meshack Kipkorir Kipkemboi (ICT and E-Government).

County chief officers exercise delegated power and are answerable to the county executive committee member in their respective dockets.

Their key functions include the day-to-day administration of departmental activities and the provision of strategic policy direction for effective service delivery within the departments they are assigned to.

They also implement policies and programmes within departments.

While county executive committee members are equivalent to Cabinet secretaries in the national government, chief officers are equivalent to principal secretaries.
The power to deploy a county public officer within a department is vested in the county chief officer.