By Hope Barbra
Kisumu County Assembly has approved the list of the nominees for the County Public Service Board.
Dr James Obondi Otieno becomes the chairman of the public service board for six year non-renewable.
The members of the board include Bill Otieno Omondi who is the Board’s Secretary, Dr Dinah Anyango Liech, Jennefer Atieno Adum, Ruth Atieno Koga, Dr Ambrose Jagongo and Joshua Oluoch Ochieng.
The Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o on June 13th/2025 forwarded the list of the nominees to the Assembly clerk.
In his memo Nyong’o wrote “The Selection panel conducted the recruitment process and having concluded the interviews submitted a report to the Governor to select suitable individuals to reconstitute the county public service board as required by law.
The governor has nominated the following person(s) to the chair, board secretary and members respectively.”
The committee of appointments chaired by the speaker Elisha Oraro in its report wrote “We the undersigned members of the committee on appointments having considered the report on the vetting of the nominees for appointment to the Kisumu County Public Service Board made findings and recommendations there in, append our signatures to affirm that the contents of the report are true resolutions of the committee.”
Recently, the County government froze the employment and promotion of employees two months after it suspended the exercise late last year.
County secretary Heston Hongo in a circular to all the departments and county public service wrote “It has been directed that henceforth there shall be no new employment or promotion to permanent and pensionable term in the county government of Kisumu until advised otherwise,” in a memo dated 18th February 2025.
Last year, Hongo wrote to the Public Service Board suspending recruitment, contract extension, contract conversion to permanent and pensionable terms its Public Service Board.
The prospective new employees to the county government who had been interviewed and were successful are still waiting for a possible consideration.
To employees whose contracts had expired were rendered jobless by the action.
But in a reaction contained in a memo dated 11th November 2024 addressed to the County Secretary from the Kisumu County Public Service Board and was signed by then vice chairperson Dr Mary Jacinta A. Kapiyo read in part:
“The Board on receipt of the above, held a meeting on Monday 11th November 2024 to discuss its contents.
As at the time of suspending recruitment, contract extension, contract conversion to permanent and pensionable terms, the Board had the following on going activities,” read the memo in parts.
The Board had conducted interviews after receiving requisition from different departments to recruit staff in various positions.
In the department office of the county attorney there were nine vacancies after availability of finance were confirmed, selection done but appointment letters were yet to be issued.
In the department of Trade, tourism, cooperatives, industry and marketing there eight positions with selection done and the board was waiting confirmation of availability of funds from the department.
In the department of Kisumu County Revenue Board there was one position vacant, and the selection had been done, and the board was waiting confirmation of availability of funds from the department.
In the department of energy, Transport, Roads and Public Works there were 109 vacant positions and selection had been done, with the availability of funds confirmed but the appointment letters were not yet issued.
In the department of Lands, Housing Physical Planning and Urban Development had 32 vacancies and availability of funds were confirmed with selection undertaken but the appointment letters were not yet issued.
In the department of Education, Technical Trainings, Innovation and Social Services had opportunities for assistant vocational and trainer (3) which has 10 vacancies while Early Childhood Development Education Teachers (ECDE) had 100 vacancies.
The interview dates were scheduled to begin from 18th November 2024 to 2nd December 2023.
The Board observed that the process was initiated by the relevant departments and approved by the cabinet after confirmation of budget and consideration of several factors to justify the need subsequently, a formal request is made to the board.
“The Board received the reminder letter from the department of lands, housing, physical planning and urban development requesting the board to release names of successful candidates to enable the department operationalize the municipalities.
This will ensure that the county government does not miss out on the conditional grant from Kenya urban support program (KUSP),”read the Memo in part.
The Board noted that it had in 2020 conducted interviews for ECDE teachers and selected candidates, but the appointment letters were never issued on account of lack of funds.
“Consequently, a repeat of the same will negatively impact on the board and the county government image to the public. Similarly, it will discourage applicants I future,” read the memo.
The Board said service delivery in education sector will be affected as exemplified with the number of schools without ECDE teachers in the county among other departments.
The County human resource management advisory committee had presented as request to convert 130 staff to permanent and pensionable terms on 8th October 2024 and after scrutiny of the individual physical staff files, the number was reduced to 43 and suitability interviews had been scheduled for Thursday 14th November 2024.
