The Public Service Commission last night cancelled an earlier list of short-listed candidates for the position of Principal Secretaries and issued a new, expanded one.
The commission said it had reviewed the number of short-listed candidates “in order to increase inclusivity with regard to gender, the marginalised and minority groups, the youth and persons living with disability…”
The new list has a total of 585 candidates. The earlier list had 477 candidates.
Election losers and individuals with links to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are among those shortlisted.
Also in the list are President William Ruto’s advisers and political allies as well as a host of PSs who served in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
Alfred Ombudo K’Ombudo is a multi-award-winning advisor of African governments offering solutions to the most complex development challenges they face and has experience in over 14 African countries.
The PSC is expected to interview the shortlisted individuals from October 12 to 22, before recommending preferred names for nomination to the President.
The names of individuals nominated by the President will be submitted to Parliament for vetting by departmental House committees and subsequent approval by the House.
Only the approved nominees will be appointed by President Ruto to take up the jobs.
Principal Secretaries are usually involved in the coordination and implementation of projects in state departments.
Currently, there are 44 Principal Secretaries serving in different departments. Their term will end immediately the new ones are named by the President.
In what appears to be a move to reward those whose contributions catapulted Dr Ruto to State House, the Kenya Kwanza administration has increased the number to 49.
To gain more room in the appointments, Dr Ruto is likely to bring back the position of Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) after the PSC concluded public participation this week.
The position, introduced by Mr Kenyatta four years ago, has mostly been filled with election losers and establishment allies.
Technocrats in various fields are in the list, including those who played a key role in crafting the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.
Dr Ruto’s top economic advisers feature in the list too.
Mr Alfred Ombudo K’Ombudo and Dr Irene Asienga, who are among the 477 persons shortlisted for the plum jobs, have been an integral part of President Ruto’s economic team that came up with the bottom-up model.
Acting Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth.
Mr K’Ombudo is a multi-award-winning adviser of African governments, offering solutions to the complex development challenges.
He has worked in more than 14 African countries. His experience straddles multilateral development institutions and the public and private sector.
Mr K’Ombundo has worked with the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations Development Programme, East Africa Trade and Investment Hub and International Trade Centre.
Dr Asienga is a commissioner with the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA).
She has more than 15 years’ experience in research, teaching and administration.
Before joining the CRA, Dr Asienga worked as a senior lecturer and director at Kabarak University. She is a former dean and head of Commerce Department at the same university.
Governor race losers
Others shortlisted are Dr Korir Sing’oei, who has been Dr Ruto’s legal adviser, and Prof Edward Kisiang’ani – a significant person in the President’s communication committee since the campaign period.
Dr Robert Muriithi is another individual in Dr Ruto’s economic team who has made it to the list.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati’s wife, Mary Chebukati Wanyonyi, is among those shortlisted.
IEBC head of Corporate Affairs Tabitha Mutemi is in the list.
Former Langata MP Nixon Korir address a church service at House of Hope in Kayole on January 10, 2021.
Also shortlisted is Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka’s wife Margaret Nafula Makelo.
The list has names of around 20 PSs who served in the Jubilee administration, academics and parastatal heads.
Conspicuous PSs who served in Mr Kenyatta’s administration appearing in the list are Dr Chris Kiptoo (Environment and Forestry), Ms Esther Koimett (Broadcasting and Telecommunications), Mr Peter Kaberia (Industrialisation), Dr Belio Kipsang (Regional and Northern Corridor Development), Dr Julius Jwan (Education), Mr Saitoti Torome (Planning), Mr Francis Owino (Agriculture), Mr Jerome Ochieng (ICT and Innovation), Mr Charles Hinga (Housing), Ms Margaret Mwakimu (TVET), Mr Nelson Marwa (Social Protection), Mr Fred Sigor (Wildlife), Dr Susan Mochache (Health), Ms Fatuma Chege (Education) and Mr Raymond Ochieng Ouma, Secretary for Youth Affairs.
Those who also served in the last regime include Mr Joseph Irungu, Mr Ali Noor Ismail, Mr Andrew Tuimur, Mr Micah Powon, Mr Simon Nabukwesi and Dr Sarah Ruto.
Election losers and allies of President Ruto appearing in the list include the immediate former Lang’ata MP Nixon Korir and his Kiminini colleague Chris Wamalwa, who lost in the Trans Nzoia governor contest.
Former Narok Governor Samuel Tunai, who wanted to be the region’s senator but lost to incumbent Ledama Olekina, has also been shortlisted.
Former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) boss Halakhe Waqo.
Ex-Wajir West MP Ahmed Kolosh and former Isiolo Woman Representative Rehema Jaldesa too appear in the list drafted by the commission.
Former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) boss Halakhe Waqo, who wanted to be Isiolo county boss on an Orange Democratic Movement ticket, too has been listed for the interview as is Mr Francis Meja who lost in the United Democratic Alliance nominations for Kajiado governor seat in April.
Other August 9 election losers shortlisted for the PS job are Mr Veska Kangogo and former Kericho Deputy Governor Lily Ngok.
Former Amani National Congress Nominated Senator Petronila Were, former Ainamoi lawmaker Sylvanus Maritim, Pamoja African Alliance gubernatorial candidate for Kwale Lunganzi Mangale will also appear for the interview.
Another person shortlisted is the wife to the veteran politician Jakoyo Midiwo – now deceased – Dr Rose Olayo Jakoroyo, academic Stephen Gaya Agong who is the vice chancellor of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Dr Duncan Ojwang – the Dean School of Law at Africa Nazarene University, Prof Catherine Akinyi Muhoma, the Deputy VC Administration and Finance at Maseno University and Daystar University VC Laban Ayiro.
A number of parastatal heads have also been shortlisted for the PS positions as well as acting Director General of Health Patrick Amoth.
The list also has Dr Wilson Aruasa, chief executive officer of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya Bureau of Standards Managing Director Bernard Njiraini, Prof Thomas Kipkurgat (Rivatex), Ms Risper Olick (Member of Public Sector Accounting Standards Board), Mr Sammy Naporos (Kerio Valley Development Authority), Mr Nixon Sigey (New Kenya Cooperative Creameries), Mr Charles Ringera of Higher Education Loans Board, Browne Kustwa (Communication PSC), Mr Bernard Ngugi (former Kenya Power boss) and Mr Joseph Ngaira Busiega.
What is not clear is whether the President will bring in new faces or will blend the Executive with talents from the previous regime for ease of operations.
Mr Dismas Mokua, a political risk analyst, argues that it takes a while for new Principal Secretaries to understand public sector operations.
“Will President William Ruto tap top talents from the Uhuru Kenyatta administration or will he bring only new faces? You cannot have new PSs alone,” Mr Mokua says.
“One takes like one year to understand the public sector. This learning curve can be costly. For the President to succeed, he needs a mixture of the new and the old.”
While releasing the list, the PSC said 9,154 people had applied for the jobs. The commission, at the same time, invited the public to give views on the suitability of the candidates.
It added that the interviews would be conducted from October 12 to 22. BY DAILY NATION