Governor Anne Waiguru shuffles her cabinet

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru (pictured) has shuffled her Cabinet, for the first time since she took office in August 2017.

The former Agriculture, Livestock Veterinary and Fisheries CEC Dr Jackan Gutu will now head the Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

The water docket was being headed by Jacqueline Wanjiku who has since swapped places with Gutu while the Finance, Economic Planning, Trade, Marketing and ICT has been renamed.

“We now henceforth have the Department of Finance and Economic Planning as we continue to improve service delivery to our people as promised during our elections campaigns,” Waiguru said in a brief statement while announcing the changes.

The Gender docket has added another responsibility of the Youth and will continue to be headed by Lynnette Wanjiru while Dennis Gichobi was left with the Sports, Culture and Social Services.

Several Chief Officers were also switched over to various departments according to the statement released to the media late yesterday.

Gutu was in the news early this year after he appeared before the County Assembly Committee on Agriculture over the purchase of five dairy cows at Sh400,000 each.

The pedigree animals which were driven to Kamweti Farmers Training Centre in June last year were not fed with daily meal whose budget had been set at Sh1 million until February this year according to the proceedings during the committee sitting.

The Committee learnt how the animals were secretly sneaked into the centre without the knowledge of Dr Stephen Gichangi the Chief Officer for Agriculture.

Sources privy to the report the Committee complied claimed Gutu was to be fired over the animal deal but the findings are yet to be tabled to the County Assembly as is the procedure.

“We read a cover-up on Gutu’s swapping to the Water docket since the Assembly Committee had established the Sh3 million animal deal was fishy,’’ claimed a source within the Assembly.

The Committee chairman Batista Kanga has also remained mum over the report.