Confusion as Meru Governor Mwangaza declares 500 advertised jobs non-existent

The perennial political feud in Meru County has sucked in departments of the executive after Governor Kawira Mwangaza ‘stopped’ the recruitment of over 500 workers, declaring the jobs non-existent.  

On Wednesday, the County Public Service Board (CPSB), through the national dailies, called on job seekers to fill various positions in health services, education, agriculture, livestock and water departments.

Among the staff to be recruited included Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, nurses, medical officers, agricultural extension officers, water engineers among others.

However, in a surprise move later in the day, the detailed job advertisement was pulled down from the county website, where the board had directed applicants, causing confusion among job seekers.

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Addressing journalists after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, embattled governor Mwangaza accused the CPSB of recruiting workers without involving the user departments.

“As the governor of Meru, I am not aware that the county government is recruiting staff. User departments did not make any request for employment. Also, our wage bill is too high to allow for any recruitment,” Ms Mwangaza said.

Meru County Secretary Kiambi Atheru said job seekers should ignore the adverts ‘since the county government has no job opportunities currently’.

“As the Meru county executive, we were shocked to see adverts in newspapers and online. We do not understand why the board advertised without consulting the departments and my office,” Mr Atheru said.

He said due process includes an assessment of staffing needs by the County Human Resource Advisory Committee (CHRAC) which makes a request to the CPSB for recruitment.

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“The CHRAC includes chief officers of all departments and myself. The departments table their staffing needs and the finance department confirms availability of funds. This process was not followed. As a result, we have cancelled the advertisement and urge Kenyans not to apply,” the county secretary said.

Mr Atheru further said they were not ready to implement the 2024/2025 budget as passed by the county assembly due to a high wage bill.

The County Assembly approved about Sh200 million in the 2024/2025 budget for the employment of health workers, teachers, water engineers and agricultural extension officers.

Opposed

County Public Service Board Secretary Virginia Kagwiria dismissed the governor’s statement saying she had no power to stop the recruitment exercise.

“The job advertisement was pulled down from the county website but the board is working on re-advertising. The board had a subdomain in the Meru County government website but we are now working on our own domain. We will soon give our position on the process,” Ms Kagwiria said.

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According to a member of the Meru County Public Service Board, they relied on Section 63 (c) of the County Government Act.

Section 63 (c) of the County Government Act on powers of the county public service board states that the board can make appointments “on its own motion on account of the best interest of the county public service and parity of treatment of public officers taking into account the circumstances of each case.”

He said the recruitment in the health department was requested by the CHRAC in 2023 but the exercise was counselled by the executive for lack of funds.

“After the 2023 recruitment was cancelled, the county assembly allocated funds in the current budget for employing health workers. There is also an acute shortage of ECDE teachers with 80 schools affected.”

“Meru is an agricultural county but the shortage of extension officers is biting. This is why the board resolved to act in the best interest of the public service,” the board member said.

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He said there was an attempt by the executive to interfere with the recruitment exercise ‘but we will not allow them’.

The feud between the executive and the CPSB started in 2023 when the board recruited health workers but the executive quashed the process.

The feud intensified after Governor Mwangaza attempted to remove the board secretary but she went to court and was reinstated.

In the impeachment trial, the MCAs accused governor Mwangaza of illegally removing the public service board secretary.

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