Muranga, Meru governors unveil Cabinets

Governor Irungu Kang'ata of Muranga and Governor Kawira Mwangaza of Meru. [File, Standard]

Governors of Muranga and Meru counties have unveiled their Cabinets which are a mix of clerics, academicians, and politicians.

In Murang'a county, the Executive Committee will have three university lecturers heading key departments.

Governor Irungu Kang'ata has nominated University of Nairobi (UoN) lecturer Dr Winnie Njeri Mwangi as Executive Committee member of Lands and Physical planning, Urban Development.

A dean of Kenya School of law, Prof Joseph Kiarie Mwaura, has been nominated to steer Finance and Economic Planning.

Kang'ata has also picked UoN Agriculture Management lecturer Dr Kiringai Kamau to take charge of the Agriculture and Livestock department.

Businessman Paul Kimani who in 2007 contested for the Kangema parliamentary seat against the late John Michuki has been assigned the Trade and Industralisation department.

Others Executive Committee nominees are Faith Wairimu Njoroge for Education and Technical Training while Pius Macharia will take over Roads and Public Works department if approved by the county assembly.

The governor has also nominated Noah Gachucha Gachanja (Youth Affairs), Mary Muthoni Magochi (Water) and Dr Fredrick Mbugua (Health). Dr Mbugua, a former medical superintendent at Murang'a County Referral Hospital was sacked after he allegedly questioned some development projects within the facility.

In a notice, the assembly Clerk Kuria Thuita invited the nominees for vetting by the MCAs.

Gachucha was prevailed upon by the Kang'ata to withdraw from the Gitugu ward race with a promise for position in the executive

Last week, assembly Speaker Johnson Mukuha disclosed that the list of the nominees had been submitted to the House for vetting.

"The Governor has submitted a list of nominees to be scrutinized by the assembly as the law demands. Now the assembly committees have been formulated for the purpose of deliberations," said Mukuha.

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has nominated four clerics out of the 10 Executive Committee Members (CECs).

Governor Kawira emphasised that she picked professionals with experience to handle the dockets.

"Each is very qualified in their line of new duty," she said.

The governor Kawira said she gave the candidates from the nine constituencies an opportunity to serve the community.

She retained former Governor Kiraitu Murungi's County Secretary Rufus Miriti in the same capacity.

"They represent the face of Meru and will be vetted by Assembly once it reconvenes. There is a CEC from each of the nine constituencies. They are expected to be accountable and God-fearing because that is the way to succeed," Kawira said.

The governor assured the cabinet nominees of her full support to deliver.

She said the CECs will be expected to list their achievements at the end of every month.

Kawira promised to give the CECs a free hand to work saying they are expected to be accountable.

"My government will be transparent, nothing to hide. I am expecting an ethic of working hard to deliver for the team. We will have a monthly report (from CECs) in addition to weekly reports done by the Director of Communication. They are expected to table progress every month before the media, through reports and evidence. We are going to run a transparent governance and the media and Assembly will play their oversight roles," she said.

A former Nominated MCA, Esther Karimi, was picked for the Trade, Cooperative and Tourism docket, Monica Kaithiori (Finance), Rev Caroline Kaberia (Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries), and Casty Micheni, (Youth, Sports and Gender).

Dr George Gikunda was nominated for Health docket while Education, Science and ICT was handed to Ithana Thuranira, a teacher.

Other CEC nominees are Bishop Kiambi Atheru, an environmentalist, who will head the Water, Irrigation and Climate Executive, James Murungi (Roads, Transport, Energy), Dickson Munene, a lawyer (Legal Affairs, Public Service and Administration) and Japhet Ndumba (Lands, Physical Planning).

Harrison Gitonga, former South Imenti National Government-Constituency Development Fund head, has been nominated as Chief of Staff while Dr Dennis Muriungi and Thuranira Atheru were picked as Chief Medical Advisor and Chief Legal Advisor, respectively.