Nairobi MCAs set to table CEC nominees’ vetting report
Nairobi County Select Committee on Appointments is expected to table a report on members of the County Executive Committee (CEC) vetted on Tuesday, December 6, before the end of the week.
Thereafter, the MCAs are expected to reconvene to debate the report before forwarding the names to Governor Johnson Sakaja for appointment.
People Daily has been reliably informed that the committee chaired by Assembly Speaker Kennedy Ngondi is set to have a one-day retreat for the approval of the ten CECs.
Speaking to the media, Ngondi said the committee is not under pressure to ensure all the CECs are approved but they will diligently work to get a competent team for the CECs.
“The governor made a nomination as demanded by the law and it is the obligation of the Select Committee on Appointment to decide who fits the bill. There is no pressure here because if there would have been an alternative way of doing things we could have done it. We are playing our part as an Assembly and a committee,” Ngondi stated.
The ten nominees include Stephen Mwangi (Built Environment and Urban Planning), Michael Gumo (Innovation and Digital Economy), Brian Mulama (Talent, Skills Development and Care), Patrick Mbogo (Mobility and Works) and Charles Kerich (Finance and Economic Affairs).
Others are Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya (Boroughs Administration and Personnel), Rosemary Kariuki (Business and Hustler Opportunities), Maureen Njeri (Green Nairobi – Environment, Water, Food and Agriculture), Anastasia Nyalita (Health, Wellness and Nutrition) and Suzanne Silantoi (Inclusivity, Public Participation, and Customer Service).
Nairobi CEC pledges
Stephen Mwangi, who appeared first for the vetting, promised that if approved, he will ensure Sakaja builds the twenty markets he promised Nairobi residents as 80 per cent of the market space is already available.
On his part, Gumo said with the experience he has in the accounting sector, he would ensure Nairobi collects enough revenue to ensure the problem of pending bills is solved.
On the other hand, Maureen Njeri was hard-pressed to explain how she will be accountable to the House after it emerged that she had snubbed the committee at least 10 times when she served in the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
In her defence, the nominee said that even though she did not appear in person during the past summons, she responded to the committee's queries.
During the vetting, it was revealed that the ten nominees are multi-millionaires in their rankings.
The vetting of the CECs had been suspended by the Employment and Labour Relations Court after a dissenting group petitioned to claim to have been secluded by Sakaja.
On November 30, Justice Anne Mwaure dismissed two petitions challenging the vetting, saying the case was filed prematurely and there was no evidence of discrimination of the minorities and marginalized.
The judge directed the vetting process to commence immediately without further delay.
While dismissing the case filed by the Association of Muslim Lawyers and the Nubian Rights Forum, the judge noted it was untimely to challenge the nominations since the County Assembly was yet to vet the list and endorse or reject the nominees.
The Nairobi County Assembly, through the majority leader Peter Imwatok, last week passed a motion to extend the sittings by two weeks to vet the nominees before breaking for a long recess.
