Governors must follow law and allow for a smooth transition

The transition process in many counties is quickly becoming a farce with too many cases of arbitrary sackings and hounding of public officers by the incoming governors. With 22 new governors taking office after this month’s General Election, the change of guard has bordered on the primitive in some cases. In one extreme case, a governor who failed to get re-elected extended the terms of service of members of his County Executive Committee and Chief Officer.

In the last few days, there has been a flurry of advertisements for jobs in counties even before a needs assessment audit has been conducted. This must stop; we agree with the Public Service Commission (PSC) that these sackings are needlessly exposing counties to litigation.

By the end of last week, the PSC was estimating that counties were staring at a Sh3 billion compensation fee if these actions do not stop.

The terms of service of officers working in counties must be respected because many of these office holders are public servants with legal protection. Although the law allows a new administration to replace advisors, there is an elaborate process that guides the replacement of some of the contracted officers.

First, the county must meet and pass a resolution for a staff audit. The findings of the human resource department must then be sent to the Public Service Board and it is only then that its recommendations can be acted on.

Clearly, most governors are circumventing this process. Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi, for instance, sent all top officials on indefinite leave, while the Machakos boss Alfred Mutua asked all finance officers to stay home until they are recalled.

These actions are arbitrary — sending officers home even before investigations into malfeasance have been launched is unfair and irresponsible. Governors must be at the forefront of ensuring that the transition process is as smooth as possible.