Governor Joyce Laboso to send home 3,500 county staff

Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso, Kenya Aviation Authority Airstrips civil engineer J Wagai, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority security officer Mogire Chweya and safety Inspector Peter Munyao at Bomet Airstrip that is set for rehabilitation and expansion by the National Government. [Gilbert Kimutai, Standard]

About 3,500 workers will soon be rendered jobless after Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso announced yesterday that she would not renew any contracts.

Dr Laboso said the employees will immediately be removed from the payroll once their term expires as part of efforts to reduce the ballooning wage bill.

“Our wage bill currently stands at 52 per cent of our total budget. This is way above the recommended 35 per cent,” she said in a statement sent to newsrooms.

“For this wrong to be corrected, I choose not to go the way of haphazardly sacking staff without following due procedure,” read the statement in part.

“I have today appointed ad-hoc committee to carry out staff audit. The committee’s report will guide our staff levels, retention and realignment,” she said.

Devoid of vendetta

The governor assured that the committee will be professional and the process would be transparent and devoid of vendetta.

“From today, contracts that expire shall no longer be renewed. These positions will be advertised and filled competitively by the County Public Service Board," she added.

However, persons holding the positions will be eligible to apply once the jobs are advertised.

“By so doing we shall be able to change the current scenario where most of our employees are on contract terms without security of tenure and pension," Laboso stated.

Deliver the promise

“My overriding objective in this exercise is not only to manage the wage bill but also professionalise the civil service by having a lean, efficient and effective team that would deliver high quality services to the people of Bomet,” she added.

She said she was elected to office on the premise of change and has set out to deliver the promise.

The employees, some of who were head hunted from the private sector, were placed on contracts after a disagreement between immediate former Governor Isaac Ruto and members of the Public Service Board.

There has been anxiety among the staff over impending sacking especially after most of them campaigned for Mr Ruto and CCM.

On Wednesday, Dr Laboso held a two hour meeting with senior staff, where she announced the bombshell.