Chief Officer for Revenue Collection Mike Jace Senga remained in office defiantly as he launched damage control measures after unprecedented mass transfer of over 500 revenue officers across the county.
Mr Senga
The transfers were hatched by Finance Minister Muia Kuyu in an effort that has disrupted revenue collection since last Wednesday and is likely to linger into next week as officials settle in their new stations.
The aftermath of the movements show an illegal, misadvised bid to kick Mr. Senga out of office, yet it is only Governor Wavinya Ndeti who has powers to remove or transfer him. The County Assembly is the only other authority with powers to remove a Chief Officer by way of impeachment.
Senga was vetted with other 27 Chief Officers by the County Assembly, where his father sits as an MCA.
The law prescribes a process that can remove him from office for whatever reason and the Finance Executive Committee Member does not feature at all in the process, unless in a bid to usurpe the authority of the appointing authority.
Observers are, therefore, asking: What is going on in the County Government of Machakos? What is the struggle about? What and where is the trophy? Is there a power struggle among the men and women surrounding Governor Wavinya? Is she firmly in charge?
Yesterday The Anchor reached out to a confidant of Mr Senga, who quoted him as saying he was in the office to stay. He brushed off reports that he has been demoted and moved, insisting that he was there to stay and dismissed the same as rumour mongering with ill intent.
This comes even as he holds a letter that purported not just to transfer him but also demoted him to be a revenue collector at Itithini Market.
Worse still, the controversial letter had his name as the author but was signed for him by the officer with the authority to transfer revenue officers.
Questions are now flying as to the motive of Mr Kuyu to initiate the process to remove an officer he has no power to deploy. Did the governor know, let alone authorise the removal? Who is this who thinks he/she wields powers only vested in the Governor of Machakos County?
Even if that is the case, why was his replacement not named, given the sensitivity of the office and that of the Director of Revenue Collection, David Kakonzi, who was also given marching orders to Muthetheni
The Anchor monitored goings-on and now reports authoritatively that the two officials have remained collected and composed in their respective offices to resolve the crisis created by the transfers that have a hallmark of grand sabotage of Wavinya's revenue collection strategy to fund her Chakula Mezani, Pesa Mfukoni mantra.
Among the issues being raised are about officials who are simply unable to move now or in the future due to being hospitalised, family concerns, impending retirements,and sickness.
Others do not simply have the means to report to new stations because they have not been paid.
Questions are being raised as to why the transfers were not carried out in phases to minimise harm and disruption of collection of revenue.
In many of the actions, it shows the department does not know its staff component well to descern the usefulness of transferring an official now on terminal or prolonged sick leave to far flung areas of the county.
