Matiang’i transfers 15 county commissioners

Fifteen County Commissioners and 98 Deputy County Commissioners were today moved in major changes affecting the provincial administration.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i (pictured) said he had consulted President Uhuru Kenyatta to also appoint 84 new Deputy Commissioners. The new DCC had been interviewed by the Public Service Commission.

Matiang’i also announced appointment of two new Regional Commissioners (RC) in the changes.

Nairobi Regional Commissioner Wilson Njega was moved and named the secretary internal security while Moffat Kangi was named the Principal Administrative Secretary at the Office of the President (OP).

Western RC Anne Ngetich was moved to Office of the President headquarters while Nyanza RC was moved to Nairobi in the same capacity.

The new Nyanza RC is Magu Mutindika while Esther Maina will take over Western.

Mandera County Commissioner was moved to Mombasa in the same capacity while Kajiado’s Joshua Nkanatha was moved to Marsabit swapping positions with Evans Achoki.

Siaya County Commissioner Michael Tialal was moved to Garissa while Gilbert Kitiyo was moved from Mombasa to Mandera. Kisii County Commissioner Stephen Kihara was moved to Uasin Gishu while Garisa’s Mwangi Meru was sent to Narok.

The new Kakamega County boss will be George Omoding while Samuel Kimiti will take over in Bungoma and Olaka Kutswa will be in charge of Kilifi County. Boaz Cherutich was moved to Migori, while Abdirizak Jaldesa will take over in Kisii and David Kipkemei was moved from Homabay to OP headquarters.

Joseph Rotich was moved from Migori to Nyanza headquarters where he will be the Personal Assistant to the RC while Abdi Hassan will be based at OP in Nairobi.

The newly appointed commissioners include Fredrick Ndunga (Machakos), Paul Rotich (Siaya), Mathias Rioba (Tana River), Moses Lilan (Homabay), Benson Laparmorijo (Nyandarua) and Josephine Ouko (Bomet).

Matiang’i said the changes take effect immediately.

Most of the affected regions have been experiencing fluctuating cases of crime.

Principal Administrative Secretary at Harambee House Kangethe Thuku was moved to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and named the Deputy Director General. He will deputise Maj Gen Mohamed Badi.

The current DDG Enosh Momanyi was recalled back to the ministry of lands where reported on Wednesday. Momanyi had been seconded from the department of physical planning where he was a Principal Secretary.

NMS is tasked with the implementation of the deed of transfer of functions executed between the national government and the Nairobi City County government. NMS came into existence on March 18 when the deed of transfer of functions signed between Governor Mike Sonko and the State came into effect.

Under the deed, four county functions of health, transport, planning and management, and public works and ancillary services were transferred to the national government.

Regional commissioners usually chair security meetings and other national administration issues.

The former provincial administration was restructured to accommodate the new commissioners.

This followed the ushering of the 2010 constitution. The RCs replaced Provincial Commissioners in the new dispensation. They chair and coordinate national government issues in their regions including security matters.

National Administration is one of the Departments in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government with a staff compliment of 12,575 which includes eight Regional Coordinators, 47 County Commissioners, 289 Deputy County Commissioners, 831 Assistant County Commissioners, 3,256 Chiefs and 8,145 Assistant Chiefs.