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Officials prepare for change as county chiefs leave office

 

Counties have started preparing for the transition of power ahead of the August 9 General Election.

Under the auspices of the County Secretaries Forum (CSF), administrators have been meeting to plan for smooth handover of power to forestall disruptions during the transition period with polls less than six months away.

This comes even as the latest auditor-general’s report showed at least 15 counties have no comprehensive registers of their assets, exposing them to losing property worth millions of shillings to theft during transition.

Among the counties affected are Nakuru, Kericho, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Bomet, Mombasa, Kisii, and Elgeyo Marakwet.

Lacking a comprehensive assets register exposes counties to possible loss of assets, some of which were inherited from the defunct county and municipal councils.

Handover reports

During the transition period, the law requires county secretaries to oversee preparation of handover reports.

The CSF revealed that 21 governors are serving their second and final terms, necessitating proper planning for a smooth transition, which includes the formation of change-over committees.

CSF chairperson Ahmed Galgalo said the forum intends to convene a series of meetings with experts to discuss the transition.

“We will have other meetings because it will require a lot of training with lawyers and experts to understand the whole process,” said Dr Galgalo, who is also the Isiolo County Secretary.

Dr Galgalo revealed that there have been challenges in counties where governors were impeached, saying such wrangles have hindered smooth transition as required by law.

“Some counties like Nairobi and Wajir experienced power struggles but we have made special arrangements for change and transition management.”

“We will have to build capacity amongst our members to enable them effectively manage the transitions to forestall such occurrences in the future,” Dr Galgalo said.

A fresh headache

Last week, the High Court in Meru nullified the impeachment of Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud by the county assembly, terming his removal from office irregular.

Deputy Governor Ahmed Mukhtar, who had taken over as governor, was directed to revert to his initial position for the remainder of the electoral term, which presents a fresh headache in managing the transition ahead of the polls.

Governor Mohamud was impeached on allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office and financial impropriety.     BY DAILY NATION   

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