Siaya Speaker rejects Orengo’s cabinet list

The Siaya County Assembly has rejected the list of nominees for Governor James Orengo’s cabinet, citing missing critical information about the individuals that would help in vetting them.

Mr Orengo presented the list to the Speaker George Okode on October 26 ahead of the vetting by the appointments committee of the House.

The list included Col Cyrus Oguna, the government spokesperson, who was appointed chief of staff.

Other nominees were Maseno University don Edgar Otumba (Education), Aguda Ochanda (Governance and Administration), Benedict Abonyo (Finance and Economic Planning) and Martin Odhiambo Konyango (Health).

Dr Carolyne Onyango was nominated for Water, Sanitation, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, and Mr George Odhiambo Nying’iro for Public Works, Roads, Energy and Transport.

Mr Sylvestor Odhiambo K’Okoth was proposed for Agriculture, Irrigation, Food, Livestock and Fisheries, Ms Grace Agola for Trade, Enterprise and Industrial Development, Ms Anjeline Atieno Oduor for Tourism, Culture, Sports and Arts, and Mr Maurice Otieno Mcorege for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development.

The governor received praise for his picks, with many describing them as the best to transform Siaya County, which has been dogged for years by corruption and underdevelopment.

But in a notice to the assembly on Thursday afternoon, Mr Okode claimed the list missed some details about the nominees, delaying the vetting.

“The notification by the governor must fulfil certain provisions of the Public Appointments Act. If the said information is not provided, we assume that notification has not been fully given to the House,” Mr Okode said.

Academic credentials

Evidence of the nominees’ academic credentials, professional training and experience, personal integrity, and background information was needed, he said.

“Honourable members I noticed some gaps in the information accompanying the list that was presented. For instance, two nominees only have their CVs submitted but no copies of academic certificates or evidence of previous work experience,” he said.

Mr Orengo, in his notice to the Speaker, said the documentation and record of the nominees' qualifications and aptitude would be supplied to the assembly or may be obtained directly from the candidates.

Submission of evidence of the nominees’ professional training and experience is important for checking compliance with Section 35 iii (d) of the County Governments Act.

It states that a person may be appointed as a member of the County Executive Committee if they have knowledge, experience and a distinguished career of not less than five years in the field relevant to the portfolio of a department to which they are being appointed.

Mr Okode also said that Mr Orengo did not fully disclose the sub-county and ward where each nominee comes from.

He maintained that the assembly would not approve a list that does not take into account the community and cultural diversity of the county.

“It is on the foregoing account that I infer that the nomination of notification to the County Assembly is currently considered not duly given in respect of section 6 (v) of the Act and the Standing orders of the House,” Mr Okode said.

“I have therefore written back to the governor to ask him to provide the missing information for us to proceed.”

This means that the vetting will take longer unless the governor provides the required information promptly.
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