EACC warns Governors Wanga, Mwangaza over appointments

This is after the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) went after the first-time governor accusing her of violating Chapter Six of the Constitution and various other laws in her running of affairs of the county.

In a letter addressed to Governor Mwangaza by its CEO Twalib Mbarak, EACC in one of the accusations cites her for nepotism where she employed her spouse, Murega Baicu as the youth service patron and ambassador for hustlers.

EACC further raised an issue with the fact that he was attending official county functions and issuing directives to county workers despite not being a public officer. 

Mwangaza is also accused of employing two of her sisters; one as a personal assistant and another another as her security personnel.

When Members of the County Assembly staged a walkout as she made her maiden address in the House, they raised issues with her handling of her docket, saying she had declined to receive counsel from them.

Though Kawira had indicated that her spouse would work for free, EACC holds that her declaration of his appointment was inconsistent with constitutional provision on who is a state or public officer.

In what EACC terms as conflict of interest, the governor faces the accusation of directing county employees to further the interests of a station owned by her husband and that they should also use their social media accounts to promote her administration’s political activities, failure to which they would be shown the door.

Other issues she is expected to shed more light on is her failure to protect public resources after it was reported that she had ordered the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital to spend all income at source.

The county boss is also accused of irregularly recruiting her acting director of communication and cleaners who were employed on the by a public declaration against the provisions of the law.

Also on EACC’s radar is Homa Bay Governor Glays Wanga who is censured for irregularly appointing 11 advisors, 10 of whom have been deployed to her office.

Further, it is said that she went against the law and created 6 positions of liaison officers and 4 positions in the governors delivery unit.

In the letter addressed to the governor, EACC states that only the county public service board is mandated with establishing or abolishing public offices in a county,

While making the announcements which she says would aid in service delivery, Governor Wanga assigned the advisors to different dockets, including climate change, education, blue economy and fisheries, security and intelligence, political affairs and youth affairs. 

The liaison officers on the other hand were tasked with streamlining different sectors including boda boda, youth, women, sports, beach management units and persons living with disabilities.

Mr. Mbarak who has demanded a prompt response from the two governors says governors are required to follow the laid down rules, and that anyone violating the procedures will face the consequences.