Nakuru Governor's nominees rejected

By Karanja Njoroge and Maren Soendergaard

Nakuru, Kenya: Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua suffered a major blow after six of his nominees to the County Executive Committee were rejected by the County Assembly.

A report tabled on the nominees by the appointment Committee led by the Speaker Susan Kihika and Majority leader Njenga Mwaura was approved by the  county assembly during a stormy session Tuesday.

The report which was presented to the House by the leader of the majority found six of the nominees unsuitable to serve the positions they had been nominated in.

Those   found unsuitable were Professor Mary Kariuki (Lands, Physical Planning and Housing), Dr Stanley Chepkwony (Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries), Dr Julius Ogeto (Health), Mr Joseph Tonui (Education Culture Youth and Social Services), Pollyne Owoko (Information, Communication Technology and E- Government) and Ms Mary Waiganjo (Public Service).

Three other nominees for the Public Service Board also failed to impress the vetting team.

They included a former District Commissioner James Mwaura a close ally of the Governor who had been nominated to serve as the County Public Service Board Chairman.

James Motari Mogosi the County Interim Secretary who had been nominated to serve in the same post was also found unsuitable by the vetting Committee.

Peter Muriithi Mwarania who had been nominated to serve in the Public Service Board also failed to make it.

Tabling the report the Majority leader said the Committee found Professor Kariuki unsuitable as she had not applied for the position she had been nominated to serve.

He also said Dr Chepkwony had also not applied for the position and had admitted it is a new area for him.

The Committee he added found Dr Ogeto not fit to serve in the docket of Health saying he lacked vision and passion.

“He seems unaware of the health policy need of the county and had a very poor response to the matter of 30per cent unconventional maternal deliveries demonstrating casualness,” the   report stated.

Mwaura said Tonui failed to articulate issues on education adequately and had not been interviewed for the post.

The vetting team stated that Awoko and Waiganjo had also not been interviewed for their dockets and were therefore unsuitable to serve.

The rejection of the nominees is a blow to the Governor who has been trying to exert his influence in the assembly.