By STANDARD TEAM

Nairobi,Kenya:Uhuru’s telling off remarks on elected leaders’ pay demands could complicate the matter further

Naming and approval of county cabinets in parts of the country has been hampered by the indefinite adjournment of the county assemblies over alleged poor pay.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said his county was affected by the stand off adding that his office has completed vetting of Cabinet nominees and is just waiting for the assembly for approval or rejection.

“The names are ready. We, however, cannot unveil them till Members of the assembly resume sittings,” he said.

He admitted taking long to unveil his Cabinet because his office was conducting ‘proper’ vetting to get the right persons for the positions.

“We want to get the right people for the positions to ensure efficiency in service delivery.”

Members of Uasin Gishu County Assembly on Thursday joined more than 40 other assemblies in the countrywide strike to push for a pay rise.

Serve voters first!

The ward leaders paralysed operations of the county governments to protest the  Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s move to review their pay to from Sh300,000 to Sh79,000, which they say is in bad faith.

However, President Uhuru Kenyatta last week told off elected leaders in their push for pay increase, saying it was time for improving service delivery to constituents and not pay perks.

In Turkana County, pressure has mounted on Governor Josphat Nanok to release the names of his cabinet nominees to the public. Locals say they are unhappy with the manner on which he has gone silent over nomination of the 10-member Cabinet.

There are also claims that some politicians in the area are pushing for the appointment of their unqualified cronies to the positions.

“We want the list of the nominee made public and we also demand that the governor sticks to professional qualifications as opposed to cronyism,” said a resident Kono Asidiye.

But, in a rejoinder, Nanok said he would soon make public the nominees for public scrutiny. He assured his criteria for selection will be credible and above board.

And in Vihiga, members of the assembly have come under attack for rejecting the list of nominees in totality.

Officials of teachers’ organisations and members of the informal sector criticised the move by the ward leaders, who rejected the Governor Moses Akaranga list last week, saying it does not represent the youth and asked him to review it.

All nominees unfit?

But Kuppet and Knut have defended Akaranga’s list and asked the assembly members to stop playing politics with the matter.

“It is wrong to reject the list in total, all the nominees cannot be unfit for the positions,” said Nebert Isambe, Kuppet Vihiga branch chairman. “They should single out the names they felt do not deserve and asked the governor to replace it and not all the nominees.”

— Reports by Lucas Ngasike, Moses Nyamori and Eric Lungai