Natembeya, county board clash over recruitment of chief officers

Governor George Natembeya and members of the County Public Service Board differed over withdrawal of the advertisement for County Chief Officers positions. [File, Standard]

A power struggle has thrown Trans Nzoia County into uncertainty after Governor George Natembeya ordered members of the County Public Service Board (CPSB) to proceed on terminal leave and vacate office ahead of the expiry of their mandate.

Natembeya declared that constitutional supremacy must prevail over personal or institutional interests.

“No individual and no office is above the Constitution. If anyone feels aggrieved by this directive, the doors of the court remain open. Should the court find that we are wrong, then we shall all be wrong. There is no room for animosity,” the governor said.

The directive follows weeks of tension over the recruitment of County Chief Officers. According to the governor, the process to hire new chief officers was initiated after the expiry of existing contracts, with an understanding that outgoing officers would serve in acting capacity for 45 days. The board reportedly proposed extending the interim period to 90 days a proposal the executive accepted.

However, matters escalated when the board cancelled an advertisement for the positions without what the governor termed “proper consultation.”

Natembeya questioned the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of the advert.

“Who authorised the cancellation? Who financed it? And under whose mandate was that decision made?” He posed.

He further maintained that the board’s term lapses on February 28, 2026, and it cannot be extended even by a single day.

“The law is clear. Once the term ends, it ends,” he said.

But the CPSB leadership pushed back. Chairperson Peter Maloba Wamoto described the governor’s actions as unlawful and an affront to the board’s constitutional independence under Article 235.

In a letter, Wamoto warned that any attempt to paralyse the board’s operations outside the procedures set in law would be challenged in court.

“The board is not a department of the County Executive. Its independence is protected by the Constitution and statute.” Wamoto said.

At the heart of the dispute are long-running disagreements over county hiring, including contested recruitment of health workers a standoff that residents say has slowed service delivery.

The Executive Director of the Social Economic Development and Human Rights Alliance, Samuel Kiboi, has opposed the decision, stating that he will submit a formal petition to the National Assembly and the relevant County Assembly. In response, Natembeya said he is ready to defend his decision in accordance with the law.