Embu MCAs accuse service board of soliciting bribes from job seekers

When Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire addressd members of the County Assembly on October 5, 2022. [Muriithi Mugo, Standard]

Embu MCAs have accused the Public Service Board members of soliciting and demanding bribes from jobseekers for the last 10 years in exchange for employment.

A report tabled by Makima MCA Phillip Nzangi indicated that the board had also continued to recruit more staff contrary to the law, resolutions of the Assembly passed on October 13, 2020 and the June 2020 advisory from the Office of the Controller of Budget.

The details were revealed during an assembly plenary debate on a report by the Committee on Administration, Public Service, Governance and ICT on the County Public Service Board's Annual Report for the year 2022.

Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh lamented that it was disgraceful for members of the Board to extort money from helpless families with the promise of various county jobs.

"Job seekers from my ward have been asked to pay up to Sh200, 000 to secure employment in this county and we should not remain quiet as the vice takes root which is tantamount to aiding and abetting corruption," Swale said.

The ward rep said qualified jobseekers ought to encounter fair competition based on merit as opposed to being knocked out of the shortlist by bribe givers.

"As MCAs we should call out members of the Service Board whenever they demand bribes from our constituents to end graft entrenched in the institution," he said.

He said speaking out on corruption would scare away unethical County Government officials.

Muminji MCA Newton Kariuki called for fairness during the recruitment exercise for job vacancies recently announced by the County Government.

"Applicants from all the 20 elective wards deserve equal employment chances as opposed to the skewed hiring of the previous regime," he said.