Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya reshuffles Cabinet amid looming impeachment
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has reshuffled his Cabinet in a move political analysts say is a bid to save some troubled County Executive Committee (CEC) members from impeachment.
In a press release, Natembeya elevated Land, Urban Development, and Physical Planning County Executive Member Ms JaneRose Mutama to be the new County Secretary.
She replaces Truphosa Amere who is staring at an impeachment motion before the County Assembly.
Amere has been moved to the Health docket in the same capacity.
Meanwhile, Finance CEC Boniface Wanyoyi, who is also facing impeachment has been moved to the Lands ministry while current Health CEC Pepela Wanjala takes over the lucrative Finance docket.
Other changes involve Patrick Gacheri who has been moved from the Water ministry to Trade.
He will replace Capt. Stanley Kirui who moves to Education and Technical Training.
Also, Samson Ojwang has been moved from the Education docket to head the Department of Water and Environment.
Several chief officers have also been affected by the reshuffle.
They include Sammy Sichangi who has been moved from Governance to the Department of Agriculture and Irrigation.
Agriculture is one of the most important dockets in the country considering it is a bread basket of the nation which is the top in producing maize and milk.
In other transfers, Chief Officer Dr Roselyne Nasiebanda has been moved from the Education docket to Lands as Dr Judith Ndiema now takes over as the new Health Services boss from Corporate Services.
The reshuffle is expected to complicate the political developments, coming days after Members of the County Assembly (MCA) moved a notice of motion to impeach four CECs last week.
The notice was issued by 27 MCAs out of a possible 33.
The impeachment motion has been leaked to the public fallout between the county boss and his Deputy Philomena Kapkory.
Kapkory has consistently cited harassment by the Governor’s handlers and staff and once publicly told her boss, in writing, that he fears working from the Kitale office.
Natembeya, a no-nonsense administrator is facing political turbulence in his government
The MCAs put the four CECs on the chopping board while accusing them of graft, insubordination, and misadvising the Governor among other issues.
The motion was moved by James Mwangi (Bidii ward), Boniface Cheloti (Saboti), Edwin Koech (Cherangany/Suwerwa), and Minority leader Erick Wafula (Hospital ward) on November 2, 2023.
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