Garissa to hire 30 county chief officers after long delay

Garissa County has embarked on a mission to hire county chief officers more than a year and a half after the August 2022 General Election.

The recruitment of the chief accounting officers for various departments was delayed following a disagreement between Governor Nathif Jama and the County Public Service Board, which is mandated with advertising county vacancies and hiring staff.

Directors in various departments have been acting as chief officers for the period, with the county administration now proposing a new secretary for the board.

Governor Jama's administration has already put up an advert in the local dailies for the recruitment of 30 chief officers in charge of all the devolved functions.

The fallout between board chair Ebla Sahal, who was hired during Ali Korane's regime, and the current governor jeopardised staff recruitment.

When he was elected in August 2022, Governor Jama dismissed more than 3,000 county workers claiming their recruitment was unprocedural, a move that saw the sacked staff file a case at the Labour court. The case is yet to be determined.

Local activists have alleged "open theft" at county level, saying it should offer an explanation about the money meant for the salaries of the sacked staff.

"If they sacked over 3,000 staff, we demand to know any tangible projects the county has done from the monies they saved from the ex-workers," said human rights activist Muktar Osman.

He alleged the embezzlement of county funds, claiming institutions mandated with safeguarding have also turned a blind eye on the prosecution of corrupt officials.

Governor Jama has in the past complained about a flawed recruitment process that has caused the county to lag behind in providing key services to residents. The county says it is addressing the issues.