Power struggle to erupt in counties over move to redeploy PCs

By Kipchumba Some

The former Provincial Commissioners have been redeployed as regional coordinators in the county governments, Internal Security Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo has said.

Mr Iringo said that in their new roles the PCs will be in charge of a cluster of counties, which will most likely be the counties in what used to be the eight provinces. 

The only difference is that they will not be based at the counties but in Nairobi where space is being created for them at Jogoo House. But until then, they will remain in their current offices in the counties.

“It will be very difficult to monitor the counties without people in charge of them at the national government. These regional coordinators will make this work much easier,” said Mr Iringo.

The move is likely to draw criticism from a section of the political divide and the civil society who have long clamored for the post to be scrapped saying it is not in line with the new Constitution. 

The role of the PCs is not made clear in the new Constitution, but the government insists that the Provincial Administration will not be scrapped as demanded by the civil society and the Opposition.

“Those who want it scrapped are doing so out of political considerations,” said Mr Iringo. “The role of county governments and the county coordinators are very well outlined and do not overlap.”

During his Madaraka Day address, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that he had recalled the PCs to Nairobi to be redeployed to other national duties.

The eight are Mr Osman Warfa (Rift Valley), Njoroge Ndirangu (Nairobi), Samuel Kilele (Coast), Joseph ole Serian (Western), Claire Omollo (Eastern), Peter Mutie (Nyanza) and Ernest Munyi (North Eastern).

challenges

In an early indication of the administrative challenges the new posts might cause, the former Rift Valley PC Osman Warfa has been accused by some MPs from Nakuru County of being at the heart of the problems that has bedeviled the county.

“We are fighting unnecessary wars because of him,” said Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri who is also the chairman of the Nakuru County parliamentarians.

Mr Ngunjiri accused Mr Warfa of playing off a section of the MPs and Members of the County Assembly against the governor, the resulting in intractable turfs wars which has delayed the formation of the Cabinet.

 “We have information that he has been telling members of county assembly from other tribes that the Governor’s Cabinet is unbalanced and hence they should reject it,” he said.

Mr Warfa denied the claims saying all he was doing was to promote peace and reconciliation in the county.  “Who does not know Nakuru’s problems? They are mad because I am doing something about it.”

Mr Warfa said that he had only pointed out that it was not proper for Governor Kinuthia Mbugua not to acknowledge his deputy Joseph Ruto during President Kenyatta’s visit last week.

“It happened twice, first at State House Nakuru and later during the rally at ASK Showground. This is such a sensitive County and it only proper that all feel part of it and that is what I pointed out,” he said.

rejected

However Mr Ngunjiri said the PC had broken protocol by introducing speakers and dignitaries as well as welcoming the President-privileges which he said were vested in the Governor.

Nakuru County has had a difficult start to forming its government after MCAs rejected a list of nominees proposed by Mr Mbugua for his cabinet.  When he went ahead and swore them in, the county MCA’s threatened to pass a vote of no confidence against the governor, a proposal they later abandoned following intervention from Deputy President William Ruto.