Murang’a Assembly calls for filling of 201 job vacancies

The Murang’a County Assembly Tuesday called on the County Public Service Board to fast-track the hiring of 201 officers to fill slots that have fallen vacant over time. 

In a report presented by Kagundu-ini MCA, Samson Mukora revealed the positions became vacant through natural attrition. 

Mukora said staffing gaps have severely strained various county departments, hampering the delivery of essential services.  

“There are many employees who retired or passed on, or left for other reasons and used to provide essential services in various county departments, but their replacements have not been made. This has affected service delivery,” he said.  

The MCA said health and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) departments have been the worst hit, with professionals in these areas being overburdened by the workload. 

He cited the example of Ndakaini dispensary’s maternity unit which only operates during the day due to a lack of staff.   

“There is a shortage of nurses and clinical officers in various health facilities, an example is the maternity unit in Ndakaini dispensary which only offers services during the day because of this staffing shortage,” Mukora said.  

Mukora urged the County Public Service Board to formulate a replacement policy within 90 days to ensure when employees retire, resign, or pass away, their positions are promptly filled. 

“A replacement policy will ensure that when an employee dies or retires, there is a clear procedure for replacing them, ensuring continuous and efficient service delivery,” he said.  

Kangema MCA Moses Muchiri called for the removal of age restrictions in the hiring process and suggested where appropriate, that the next of kin of a retired or deceased employee be considered for the vacant position if they meet the qualifications.

“Age is a natural factor and nobody should be denied opportunity because of age and yet they are qualified,” Muchiri said. 

“The Public Service Board should also consider developing a mechanism where if an employee exits due to death or ill health, their position could be considered for a transfer to a qualified next of kin.”  

Muchiri emphasised the importance of employing qualified personnel and giving priority to departments that offer essential services when hiring workers to fill the 201 vacancies.