Governor's supporters in shock
By Martin Masai
The fate of 405 Revenue clerks contracted by Governor Wavinya Ndeti hangs in the balance after the county government withdrew a request to the Public Service Board to renew their contracts.
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| The letter of doom |
Consequently, the workers have disappeared from their work stations since Tuesday, July 2, 2024. They were stationed in all sub counties in Machakos.
The Anchor established that the Chief Officer for Revenue Collection Zipporah Mutunga wrote a letter to the Acting Secretary and CEO of the County Public Service Board on May 6,2024, seeking the renewal or extension for contracts of the revenue clerks for three years.
Apparently, Ms. Mutunga's office, upon making the request, had attached appraisal documents for the clerks- whose age ranges from 18 years to 75, and approving their performance for the last one year. The clerks are made up of Ms Ndeti's campaign staff who remained without jobs after she took office and employed campaigners who occupied upper levels of the mobilization battalion.
Last Saturday- June 29, 2024 was their last day at work. Word was sent verbally through their supervisors to report to the County Public Service Board on Tuesday June 2, 2024 to collect their new letters.
Unbeknown to them, Ms. Mutunga had written a letter to the CPSB on June 18,2024, reversing her request for the new contracts. It is unlikely that the letters will be forthcoming following reports circulating within the county that the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission had requested to be furnished with records and the process followed to hire the clerks.
The move puts in jeopardy the county plans to collect revenues to the tune of Kes 4b to fund its budget. It also comes as 9 Counsty Senior Revenue Officers(SROs) remain suspended for four months now, sending signals that all is not well at the revenue collection department of the county government.
Revenue oversight and coordination in the Sub Counties is currently done by County Administrators who have no knowledge in that field, leaving county revenues prone to abuse. Such was the case in Mwala recently when 12 revenue clerks were caught fiddling with the funds. None of them has since been prosecuted, meaning that those involved may be well connected within the county establishment.
The SROs were recalled from their various stations after an order by Finance Minister Onesmus Muyu. The order was implemented through the then Director of Revenue Collections Mr David Kakonzi, who too was eased out of the post shortly after. Within days, the then Chief Officer for Revelue Collection Jece Senga was transferred from office and replaced by Ms Mutunga.
These movements were preceded by a chaotic mass transfer of revenue officers that Kuyu ordered earlier that embarrassed him after ordering the transfer of a Chief Officer, an move that is outside his authority.
