Nandi: Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has appealed to the Members of Nandi County Assembly (MCAs) to be factual, genuine, and fair while fulfilling their oversight mandate. The governor emphasized the need for accuracy and sincerity in their observations when following up on projects’ progress, cautioning against exaggerating issues and failing to investigate the factual causes behind project shortcomings.
According to Kenya News Agency, Sang expressed concern that Assembly Members sometimes exploit failed situations to criticize the executive arm of government, overlooking their own role in addressing such issues. He reminded the MCAs of their shared responsibility in ensuring residents receive essential services, highlighting that they cannot escape blame for any service delivery failures.
Sang underscored the importance of teamwork across all government sectors to achieve development in the county. He cautioned the MCAs against creating a negative image of the county, stressing that any damage would affect all government branches equally. “This County is for all of us, if you create a bad name, you may think you are creating a bad name for the county executive but you are part of it,” he stated.
The governor also addressed claims of misappropriated funds, pointing out a specific instance where a project’s budget was not procured within a financial year, leading to accusations of stolen money. Sang clarified that such lapses do not equate to fund mismanagement, as unprocured funds are not lost.
He was particularly displeased with some County Assembly Ad-Hoc committee recommendations from last year concerning a proposed land purchase for mass graves. Sang refuted the existence of any budget or expenditure for such a project, dismissing it as unfounded speculation.
The governor made these remarks during the swearing-in ceremony of three newly appointed County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) for Health and Sanitation, Education, and Roads and Infrastructure: Dr. Angeline Chepchirchir, Renny Chepkoskei Kirwa, and Engineer Robert Kipchirchir Limo. These appointments were part of Sang’s response to the County Assembly committee’s Ad-Hoc recommendations.
The event, held at Kipchoge Complex Stadium, also included the swearing-in of Nancy Cheruto as the Public Service Board Secretary, along with board members Joseph Kiptoo and Joan Jepkoech. Sang urged the newly appointed officials to expedite projects with approved finances to ensure timely service delivery to residents.
The governor expressed gratitude to the Nandi County Assembly for their dedication to passing development-oriented bills. The ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Deputy Governor Dr. Yulita Mitei, County Secretary Dr. Francis Sang, and other county officials.