Senior county officers in Central and South Rift to quit for 2017 polls

As campaigns for the 2017 elections begin in earnest, a host of senior state officials in Central and South Rift regions are expected to resign to contest various seats.

A survey by The Standard on Sunday indicates most of those keen to resign are county executive committee (CEC) members, chief officers, departmental directors and commissioners ofcounty public service Boards in Nakuru, Narok, Bomet, Baringo, Samburu and neighbouring Nyahururu and Laikipia counties.

Most of them are already engaged in early campaigns as they undertake their county governments functions.

Their expected resignations are likely to put the county governments in a dilemma as crucial departments will be left without key officers.

Civil rights activist Paul Masese says mass resignations will jeopardise the functioning of the devolved governments as the officials are likely to relinquish their positions almost at the same time.

“The County Government Act is silent on what happens when senior officials resign to join politics. It is the first time this will happen in counties,” says Mr Masese.

But Nakuru County Secretary and head of public service Joseph Motari does not anticipate any challenges.

“Not all senior officials are going into politics. The county government is an institution with structures and we have planned well for those kind of situations,” he said.

The elections law requires public servants interested in seeking elective seats to resign six months to the elections, which are scheduled for August 8, 2017.

This means a host of public servants, among them cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, heads of government agencies and parastatal chiefs and even teachers, have to tender in their resignations at least six months to the General Election.

Elected leaders — the president, his deputy, governors, deputy governors, MPs, senators and MCAs — are however exempted from this requirement.

In Nakuru, at least seven senior officials have already declared their intentions to contest various seats in and outside the county.

Those expected to quit include County Treasury Chief Officer Torome Kapaya, who is eyeing the Narok East seat and County Public Service Board Chairman Waithanji Mutiti who is interested in the Subukia parliamentary seat.

Their colleagues Peter Mbae and Francisca Kamuren, who have declared interest in the Kabazi ward and Nakuru Town West parliamentary seats respectively.

The county’s Physical Planner Eric Ogada, who is currently on terminal leave, also hopes to unseat Mr Samuel Arama in Nakuru Town West.

Purity Muritu, the chief Officer in charge of Agriculture, has declared interest in the woman representative’s seat. Governor Mbugua’s political advisers Maina Muhia and Zipporah Kimani have also begun campaigning for Subukia and woman representative seats respectively.

“Most of them have accumulated a lot of wealth in the past four years and they now feel that they need to have some clout,” says Philip Chebunet, a political science lecturer at the University of Eldoret.

In Narok County, Roads CEC Ezekiel Rono, Chief Officer Willy Ole Loigero, ECD Director Paul Chesimet and Sub-county Administrator Stanley Ole Mpoe are all eyeing the Narok West parliamentary seat currently held by Patrick Ole Ntutu.

In Narok North, Agnes Pareiyo (County Water Director) and Nelson Keshei (Agriculture CEC) will be seeking to unseat Moita ole Kenta. The County Bursary Chief Officer Alfred Ole Keriolale has already resigned to battle for the Narok East constituency seat with sitting MP Lemanken Aramat who is Tunai’s close ally.

 Bomet County Assembly Speaker Geoffrey Kipng’etich, Kapletundo Ward Administrator Bernard Ng’eno and Economic Planning Executive Peter Koros are some of the leaders in Bomet angling themselves for a political race.

Kipng’etich will be making his second attempt for the Konoin constituency seat after losing out to Sammy Koech in a closely fought race. Dr Koros, the County Economic Planning minister, is eyeing the Nakuru West MP’s seat currently held by Samuel Arama.

In Nyandarua, Nderi Ndiani, the officer in charge of finance, has expressed interest in the Senate seat while his lands and planning counterpart Gitau Thabanja has declared interests to vie for the Ol Jororok parliamentary seat.

In Laikipia, Roads Minister Virginiah Ndiritu is interested in the woman representative seat while her health counterpart Njoroge Wangui will vie for the senatorial seat.

Finance Chief Officer Henry Kimani is interested in the Senate seat as former County Secretary John Mwaniki eyes the Gubernatorial position.

At least five officials in Baringo are said to be interested in joining politics. They include Chief of Staff Nixon Mutai who is interested in parliamentary seat and Chief Officer Gideon Toromo.

In Samburu County, two officials are also said to be interested in contesting parliamentary seats.

-Reports by Steve Mkawale, Robert Kiplagat and Gilbert Kimutai