Nandi, Kenya – Nandi Governor Stephen Sang described the two-month absence of his eight disputed County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) from duty as wasteful and unnecessary. This statement came following the reinstatement of the CECMs after their initial appointment was declared illegal by the Employment and Labour Court in Eldoret on October 13.
According to Kenya News Agency, Governor Sang expressed his disappointment during the swearing-in ceremony of the eight appointees, which took place after the Nandi County Assembly approved them. The Eldoret court had initially required the Governor to re-advertise the eight positions for fresh applications.
Governor Sang expressed gratitude to the County Assembly for expediting the approval process of the nominees. He urged the newly sworn-in CECMs to work diligently to recover the time lost during their absence. Sang emphasized the importance of collaboration between the CECMs and the relevant County Assembly committees to ensure the successful delivery of his administration’s agenda.
The Governor directed the appointees to coordinate with the County Assembly to complete ongoing projects and operationalize completed ones. He highlighted the crucial role of the County Assembly in approving budgets and proposed projects.
The swearing-in ceremony, conducted by Principal Magistrate Samuel Mokua, took place at the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex Hall in Kapsabet town. The affected appointees include Hillary Serem, Ruth Koech, Kiplimo Lagat, Dr. Philemon Bureti, Alfred Lagat, Scholastica Tuwei, Drice Ronoh, and Isaiah Keter.
The initial case against the appointment of the eight CECMs was filed by Nandi resident Onesmas Kimeli. The court ruling, which was later lifted, argued that the appointment, vetting, and approval process of the CECMs violated constitutional procedures.
In his address, Governor Sang also thanked Rose Angira, the only CEC not affected by the court ruling, for ensuring continuity of services across departments during the absence of her colleagues.