Nyong’o, Rasanga in dilemma over cabinet and chief officers

The Kisumu and Siaya governors are facing challenges in instituting their executive committees, thanks to court cases and unco-operative county assemblies.

Prof Anyang' Nyong'o has had to go back to the drawing board after the High Court on Friday reinstated eight chief officers he had sacked last November.

The eight - Samwel Okuro, Samwel Ondola, Jacob Muga, George Akong’o, Cephas Kasera, Derek Obura, George Koyier and Seline Odhiambo Bonyo - served under former Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma.

Employment and Labour Relations judge Mathews Nduma annulled the suspension of the officers and ordered the county government to re-absorb them and pay their salaries for the four months they were on suspension.

Court directive

Governor Nyong’o said he would respect the court directive, but added that the suspended officers would still face the county executive committee over unnamed issues in their dockets.

This could signal a fresh round of legal battles should the county government fail to reinstate them.

County Secretary Olango Onudi has also had a long-running battle with members of the county public service board.

Last month, the board, chaired by Nashon Oguya, tried to suspend Dr Onudi for alleged abuse of office.

In Siaya, Governor Cornel Rasanga's Rasanga in naming his full cabinet has become a legal battle, fuelling tension between him and the county assembly.

Only six of his 10 nominees are in office while four were rejected by the assembly.

The MCAs had initially rejected nine nominees, saying they were either not qualified for the jobs or were placed in the wrong dockets.

The governor later submitted a fresh list that retained two names from the previous list, among them a son of East African Legislative Assembly MP Oburu Oginga, Jaoko Oburu.

Fresh list

But the MCAs again rejected four of the nominees, endorsing only six.

The six are Bernard Mboha (roads and public works), Elizabeth Achieng' (tourism), Joseph Warega (finance), Charles Ogada (agriculture), Mary Omondi (health), and Jaoko Oburu (enterprise and industrial development).

Last Wednesday, the county assembly said it was not in a position to vet and approve the remaining four names because the matter was still in court.

Three residents have challenged the nomination of the four, accusing the governor of ignoring regional balance, gender, minorities, youth, and persons with disabilities.