The Siaya County Government has announced a recruitment drive targeting senior leadership and technical positions, in a move officials say is aimed at strengthening service delivery across departments, including the heavily strained health sector.
The recruitment, issued by the Siaya County Public Service Board (CPSB), invites applications for 11 County Executive Committee Member (CECM) positions, all serving during the tenure of the governor, alongside the position of County Attorney, which carries a six-year contract.
The advertised CECM roles cover key departments, including Finance and Economic Planning, Governance and Administration, Health and Sanitation, Agriculture and Blue Economy, Water and Environment, Trade and Industrialisation, Public Works and Transport, Tourism and Culture, Lands and Urban Development, and Education and Social Services. Serving public officers who meet the requirements are eligible to apply.
In addition, the county has listed more than 40 senior and mid-level positions, including chief officers, directors, deputy directors, coordinators and officers across multiple departments. Most chief officer positions are offered on three-year contracts, renewable annually based on performance.
A significant portion of the advertised positions is within the health department, which accounts for dozens of vacancies.
These include posts for medical officers, registered nurses, clinical officers, pharmaceutical technologists, health records officers and health information officers, most of which are permanent and pensionable.
The recruitment comes as the county continues efforts to stabilise its health workforce following a controversial verification exercise last year.
During that exercise, over 380 individuals were dismissed after failing to present valid employment documents.
Only about 120 workers were confirmed to have been officially recruited through a formal interview process and issued authentic appointment letters.
The dismissals triggered public protests and legal petitions, with affected individuals claiming they were unfairly removed from service.
Petitions were submitted both to the county assembly and the governor’s office, demanding reinstatement and investigation into the alleged unfair dismissal.
Amid the public outcry in September last year, Governor James Orengo called on the Siaya county assembly to fast-track its inquiry into the dismissal of health workers, urging that the matter be concluded within two weeks.
“Noting the public outrage over this issue, we urge the county assembly to conclude this matter in a fortnight rather than a month,” Orengo said, adding that the executive would not interfere with the assembly’s inquiry or other investigations by state agencies.
Orengo confirmed that petitions from the dismissed workers had been received and emphasised that all county recruitment must follow due process with jobs advertised, applications received and interviews conducted according to law.
“This is the only lawful path for individuals to join the county public service,” he said.
The governor acknowledged concerns over past irregularities, including allegations of bribery and said each case would be examined individually.
“If indeed there were exchanges of money, such appointments would be null and void,” he said, adding that the county would abide by resolutions made by the assembly and other relevant state organs.
Orengo also called for lifestyle audits on individuals implicated in fraudulent recruitment schemes and urged dialogue with affected workers to address grievances fairly and transparently.
EACC is also investigating the matter.
To prevent recurrence of past irregularities, the board has introduced rigorous vetting requirements.
Applicants are required to submit detailed resumes, certified copies of academic and professional certificates, national identification documents and clearance certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Higher Education Loans Board, and Credit Reference Bureau.
The board warned that any form of canvassing or undue influence will lead to automatic disqualification and encouraged women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply.
According to the advert, all successful candidates will be subject to vetting and approval by a select committee of the County Assembly of Siaya before appointment
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Interested candidates have until January 12, 2026, at 4 pm to submit applications either physically at the CPSB offices at Ardhi House in Bondo or online through the board’s official website and email address.
As Siaya moves to refill critical positions, the recruitment is expected to strengthen administrative capacity and restore confidence in public service delivery amid growing public demand for transparency, accountability and efficiency.
by FAITH MATETE
