Bernard Tivu Chair Makueni Assembly Committee on Devolution, Public Participation, County Administration and Special Programmes. Photo Courtesy. 
By Andrew Mbuva
The Makueni County Assembly Committee on Devolution, Public Participation, County Administration, and Special Programmes has issued a stern directive calling for the immediate revocation of all irregular acting appointments in the county government.
This follows revelations that several officers within the County Executive have been serving in acting capacities for extended periods—some for over six months—contrary to existing laws and without the requisite qualifications for the roles.
In a report tabled before the Assembly by the committee chairperson, Bernard Tivu, the committee directed that all officers currently serving in acting positions be returned to their substantive roles immediately. It further ordered that a detailed compliance report be submitted by the relevant departments within 14 days.
“The Committee recommends that all acting appointments which do not comply with Part C.14 of the Public Service Commission Human Resource Guidelines and Procedures Manual, 2016 be revoked immediately. Going forward, any unlawful acting appointments shall attract surcharging and disciplinary measures on both the appointing authority and the appointed officers,” read the report.
The committee established that 34 officers are currently serving in acting capacities across various departments. Some have not only exceeded the legal six-month threshold but are also acting in roles that are two or more grades above their substantive positions.
It also emerged that several deployed officers’ competencies—including their knowledge, skills, experience, and abilities—were being under-utilized, as the duties assigned to them were inconsistent with their areas of specialization.
In a raft of recommendations, the committee urged the County Public Service Board to competitively fill all the positions that have been under acting appointments for more than six months. It directed that the recruitment process begin within 14 days of the report’s adoption, and the positions be filled within three months.
The appointing authorities were also reminded to strictly adhere to Part 3 Section 23 of the Public Service Commission Regulations, 2020 and Parts C.14 and C.15 of the Public Service Human Resource Guidelines and Procedures Manual, 2016 during all future recruitment and appointment processes.
