Counties

Push for City Hall hiring audit amid nepotism claims

Cityhall pic

Nairobi County Assembly minority whip Peter Imwatok. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

A section of Nairobi MCAs has called for an audit of recruitment at the county assembly following a fallout over hiring and promotions.

The ward representatives, led by Minority Whip Peter Imwatok, want the Nairobi County Assembly Service Board to provide details of recruited staff since 2013.

The details should include names of the staff, ethnic background, qualification and time of recruitment as well as their relationship with the board members.

In a request for a statement, Mr Imwatok also wants the board to come clean on the promotions of senior officers conducted between 2013 and 2017 with focus on senior clerk assistants and deputy clerks providing adverts of the two positions, the number of applicants, and their qualifications, shortlisting and long listing reports, interview reports, and results of the same.

The second-term ward representative accused the board of practicing nepotism, impunity, abuse of office, and flouting the principles and values of public service over the years.

“Hon Speaker, as provided under Standing Order 45 (2)(c) and in the spirit of fighting impunity, nepotism, conflict of interest and abuse of office, I would like to request for a statement from the chairperson of Justice and Legal Affairs committee and the Nairobi City County Assembly Service Board regarding recruitment done by the Board since 2013,” said Mr Imwatok.

The MCA also wants the Board to provide details of how many of the successful applicants are true residents of Nairobi as per the Constitution and the spirit of devolution that requires that every employment opportunity and priority must be indigenous to that county.

Further, the board should shed light on a 2015 petition where one Peter Muturi Chege sued the Board regarding filling of position of the deputy clerk and how consent was entered.

“This assembly is prone to consents when an illegality has been committed. The assembly has no resolutions and every member of this county assembly and the staff must respect them. When a report has been brought before the House, it is bounding to all,” he said.

The new development follows a fallout at the assembly over an advertisement in August seeking to internally recruit 28 senior officers.

Rather than proceed peacefully, the process was met with opposition by a section of MCAs and assembly staff.

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