By Gastone Valusi
in Machakos.
Machakos governor Wavinya Ndeti has defended her move to appoint non-Kamba Chief Officers to the county government while saying that she has done nothing wrong.
Ms Ndeti who witnessed the swearing in of 26 Chief Officers among them six from other communities said there were voters from other communities who voted for her in the last general election and they also deserved to be represented in the government.
She added that the Constitution provided for inclusion of minority communities in county governments as the dominant local communities took the lion's share of 70 per cent of positions in government.
Ms Ndeti has braved a barrage of criticism for a decision to include officers from the Somali,Luo,Maasai and the Kikuyu communities in her government with Machakos Town MP Caleb Mule being vocal on the matter saying Machakos residents needed to be considered first in any job opportunities in the county.
He said other counties were exclusively employing 'their people'.
But Ms Ndeti discounted such assertion saying Machakos was home to many communities.
"There are those opposed to my decision to include other tribes in my government but I ask them,are there no other tribes living in Machakos? Let us learn to be accommodative. If you go to Kajiado or Isiolo you will find Kambas there,"said governor Ndeti.
She said the majority of officers in her government were from the local Kamba Community.
Ms Ndeti thanked the County Assembly for not being tribal as they had approved the list of Chief officers without discrimination.
She urged the Chief officers to be dedicated in their service to the people and shun corruption.
"I thank the County Assembly for not being tribal. If the assembly was biased the list of Chief officers would not have passed but they recognized that we also have other communities in Machakos"she said.
She urged her critics to rise above tribal politics adding that all communities were inter-dependent.
Governor Ndeti promised to make Machakos a model county especially on utilization of public resources.
She urged the Chief Officers to seal all corruption loopholes in their departments since they were the accounting officers in their dockets.
The swearing in ceremony at the governor's office was presided over by Machakos High Court Deputy Registrar Mr David Analo.
Deputy governor Francis Mwangangi downplayed claims of divisions between the governor and himself saying there were no differences between them.
He said he was Keen on helping his boss deliver on her mandate as her success would be his own success and that the voters will judge both of them on account of their service delivery as promised during the campaigns.
He defended the governor's choice of Chief officers adding that the inclusion of officers from other communities was what the law stipulated and if the residents were uncomfortable with it they should call for a referendum to amend the Constitution.
