By Martin Masai
The fate of top 10 revenue officers hangs in the balance after a second purge in the department by Finance Minister Onesmas Muia Kuyu.
Ms. Zipporah Mutunga
In the first purge in February, Kuyu instituted a mass transfer of revenue officers as he deployed over 400 newly recruited ones in a move that embarrassed the department after the top brass found themselves with transfers letters to markets.
In the current purge, 9 senior revenue officers who served as Subcounty Revenue Officers ((SROs) and their director David Kakonzi are awaiting deployment as most of them complete nearly 2 months at home. Mr Kakonzi was replaced by Mr. William Otieno as Director of Revenue.
Kuyu has also created a new revenue structure where Ward Revenue Officers report, for the first time, to Ward Administrators and through to Sub County Administrators.
Even then, The Anchor has been informed that these sets off officials are supervised by Cordinators who are yet to appear within the county establishment, meaning that county revenue could be managed under a political framework. The coordinators are Governor Wavinya's foot soldiers who wield powers in the County.
The purge was ordered by Mr Kuyu and first executed by Mr Kakonzi. A letter seen by The Anchor that was copied to the 9 officials ordered them to report to then Revenue Chief Officer Jace Senga the next morning.
After they reported, they were guided to take their outstanding leave days to avoid occupying the parking yard of the County Headquarters where they kept idlying. " They took 20, 30 to 60 days, and the leaves are ending on May 28,2024" said a source at the revenue office yesterday. The expiry of the leave days now puts pressure on the department to make a decision on where to place them.
When reached for comment, Mr Kuyu distanced himself from their recall, saying that his responsibility over the department only revolves around policy issues. However, The Anchor established that Kuyu is the architect of the purge. Apart from posting directives on a wall with colleagues, the minister bragged at a meeting in Matuu " I have not only removed the thieves but indeed cut down the big tree", a reference he makes about Mr Senga, who was recently removed to become Chief Officer- Public Engagement.
Observers see the deployment of Senga as a mockery of a chief officer who shared his office with two other officials because he regarded his work as public engagement.
As he distanced himself from the predicament of the SROs, Kuyu referred The Anchor to Mr Senga, who handed over the docket to new Revenue Chief Officer-Ms Zipporah Mutunga on Tuesday,May 21, 2024.
