The Machakos Assembly has no history
of rejecting any unqualified nominee
By Martin Masai,
Editor/ Publisher
Just as reported in The Anchor, the meteoric rise of one Juliana Ndunge Mutisya seems unstoppable.
On August 26,2024, the Machakos County Assembly vetted Juliana for the post of Secretary of the County Public Service Board even as she stood infringing one requirement for the job.
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| Juliana Mutisya |
It comes as no surprise because the Machakos County Assembly has a record of approving unqualified people for appointment to various county positions- meaning that it is increasingly becoming incapable of discharging one of its mandates.
The Anchor has a record of unqualified nominees who have been approved by the Machakos County Assembly.
Juliana was recruited as a Deputy Director of Administration- Job Group Q- for a 5 year contract on June 5,2023. and has swiftly hopped to the top of a key organ of the county government.
To illustrate the speedy rise, County Secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki, quickly set the upward mobility for Juliana exactly 21 days after she was hired.
On June 26, 2023, she was catapulted from her role as Deputy Director of Administration, a position to which she was appointed with 18 others, and posted to the County Public Service Board.
CPSB is an autonomous entity of the county, complete with its Chairman and Commissioners approved by the County Assembly. By law, the CPSB recruits and appoints its staff and those of the county government, including the County Secretary, so there is no circumstance where a CS can transfer, dismiss or appoint anyone to or from the board that hired him or her.
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| Mrs. Rose Mwanthi |
Upon landing at the board, without any board resolution, the next day, the CPSB Chairman Mr Albanus Mutisya appointed her as Acting Secretary to the Board, a position she holds with hefty additional allowances. She was instantly upgraded from Job Group Q to R. Mutisya also granted her an Acting Allowance- 20 percent of her basic salary until a board Secretary is recruited.
Dr. Ndambuki, apparently responding to concerns by Mutisya that her contract acted to save her. So on January 15,2024 the County Secretary decreed in a letter this " I hereby renew Juliana Mutisya's contract as the Acting Secretary to the board for a period not exceeding three months from the date of this letter, or until the board substantively fills the position, whichever comes earlier"
Three months later, Juliana's contract had ended and the position of the Secretary had not been filled.
Explaining the reasons behind the delay in filling the post, the CS wrote to Mr. Mutisya thus " In view of the above then, I request the board to consider reviewing the contract of Mrs. Juliana Mutisya P/N0, 2023924529 to act for a period not exceeding three months from the date of expiration of her contract" The CS who on January 15,2024 renewed Juliana's contract was the same one requesting for the extension of the same contact in April 12!.
Be that as it may, the C Selection Panel put together to recruit the board Secretary announced a vacancy for the post through a public announcement on Thursday June 20, 2024, calling for qualified and interested persons to apply.
Among the many requirements set for the applicants was that one should not be a Public Officer. It meant that anyone applying for the job should not be an employee of not just the Machakos County Government, but the entire Kenyan public service.
Mrs. Mutisya applied and appeared before the panel on July 7, 2024, when she still had an active contract as Acting Secretary to the board- meaning she should not have been shortlisted by the panel, let alone getting audience before them. During her vetting, she was asked to provide proof of resignation and she provided a resignation letter.
She tendered her resignation on July 9, 2024, writing to Dr. Ndambuki " This letter is to inform you of my decision to resign from the Machakos County Public Service as a Deputy Director Administration." She gave a one month notice, meaning she would exit the employment at the end of August 2024.
Mr Mutisya told The Anchor that she has since tendered her resignation to him from the post of Acting Secretary. Mrs. Mutisya did not respond to an inquiry from The Anchor why she opted to resign from the lesser position and the fate of the contract as Acting Secretary.
She appeared before the assembly for vetting on August 26, 2024. As we went to Press, the Assembly Committee on Appointments had retreated to Nairobi to prepare a report about her vetting.
Juliana was vetted the same day with Mrs. Rose Kamene Mwanthi, the CECM nominee for Water, Irrigation, Climate Change and Environment. The committee will be presenting a report with recommendations to the whole House for consideration. Rose, a banker by profession from Kyamwilu, who is leaving her position at Family Bank will be taking over the water docket from Catherine Mutanu, the current minister for Agriculture.
Read the previous article over the same matter here; http://theanchormedia.blogspot.com/2024/07/impunity-marks-officials-rise-to.html
