By Erick Otieno
The administration of Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko has inducted 225 new employees following the conclusion of an employment-related legal battle that had dragged on since the last general elections.
From Monday to Friday, Migori County inducted the new staff, the majority of whom are in the health and administration sectors, which were most affected as the County Public Service Board was entangled in a court case for the past two years.
“We are now able to address the deficits we had in human resource management, which will enhance service delivery to wananchi, especially by ensuring that health centres have adequate staff for smooth operations,” said County Public Service Board Chair, David Ocholla.
Ocholla added that the county would also benefit from the resumption of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centre operations, which had previously been halted.
He noted that the mass recruitment, which began late last year, was a crucial step in addressing major staff shortages and would make it easier to fulfil the county’s devolution mandate.
“As civil servants, we have a duty to serve Migori residents, and we are committed to ensuring that devolution works for the people,” he said.
The board’s Secretary, Andrew Ocholla, said that following the resolution of the court case, they had been able to manage staff more effectively and reallocate resources where necessary.
“We plan to advertise for more job opportunities soon to ensure that we have adequate staff through a rigorous recruitment process,” Andrew said.
Sylvance Araja, the Migori Executive Secretary for the Kenya County Government Workers Union, described the recent induction as a major milestone.
“As staff, we are pleased that the prolonged court process is finally over, as it had taken a political turn that affected our morale and work ethic,” Araja said.
He urged the board to act swiftly to ensure that staff promotions and welfare matters are addressed.
“As a union, we can now foster synergy among all staff members because election transitions always create tension,” Araja added.
The three spoke during the induction ceremony on Wednesday morning.
Speaking at the event, Migori County Assembly Speaker George Duro Kobado reminded the new staff that civil service is a calling and urged them to maintain professionalism in service delivery while adhering to the law.
On 14 May 2024, the Court of Appeal in Kisumu dismissed Civil Appeal Case No. E174 of 2023, which had been filed by Jared Opiyo, the immediate former board chairman, along with five other members.
They had sued the Migori County Assembly as the first respondent.
Other respondents included The County Public Service Boards National Consultative Forum, former Speaker Charles Owino, former Assembly Clerk Vincensia Kionge, Solomon Oluoch (Director of Human Resources, Migori County), and Governor Ochillo Ayacko, listed as the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth respondents, respectively.
Opiyo’s board had a six-year non-renewable term, which was set to end in February 2026. However, a public petition for their removal from office was lodged at the Migori County Assembly on 9 January 2023, leading to their impeachment.
