Opinion: Dear Governor Sang, your achievements will be used to gauge youthful leadership. Don't fail us!
Nandi governor Stephen Sang at a past event (photo courtesy)
As soon as they had been sworn into office, the governor and the senator were at each others throat, each one accusing the other of incompetency. The senator in particular was vocal about the job opportunities in Nandi which were being handed over to the politically correct individuals. The senator is on record stating that in Nandi you wouldn't get a job unless you were a "slay queen".
This did not go down well with the governor and his handlers. They accused the senator of meddling in county affairs instead of lobbying for National jobs on behalf of the Nandi electorate. In one instance the governor accused the senator of interfering with the roles of the MCA's and that he had neglected his role as a senator and was always crisscrossing the county aimlessly. An audio recording was released to the public purporting to be the senator promising his team of county employment and contracts.
Things got worse when the county education officers could not account for the money that had been set aside to cater for the needy students bursaries. The money was claimed to have been channeled through private accounts a clear breach of public ethics and accountability. The county government defended this move through its online communication teams. This however did not in any way convince the populace who felt that the money had not been well accounted for.
What however hasn't been clear enough is whether these squabbles are genuine or mainly political. With the governor and senator constantly on each others necks, the electorate is the one being short changed.
The county assembly has been accused of being in bed with the executive. No tangible action has been taken against those accused of misappropriation of public funds. The assembly is supposed to play an oversight role and keeping the government in check.
The previous government headed by Dr. Cleophas Lagat was overhauled by the electorates at the ballot. They had been accused of being insensitive to the people's needs. This explained the almost total overhaul of the county assembly who faced the wrath of the electorate.
It is therefore important for governor Sang's administration to be wary of the needs of the people and involve them in the decision making processes. It is prudent that the administration ensures that the people are given the top most priority in whatever is done in the county. If that is not the case, Sang's administration might face the same fate that befell the previous one.
Any politician should be aware that the people matter in any process. Devolution was entrenched in the Kenyan constitution to allow the people be more involved in the day to day administration. Any politician that ignores the needs of the people is doomed.
The support of governor Sang has been steadily declining. He has been left with a pocket of supporters mainly county employees and some contractors who do business with the government. Whether he sees this or not is a subject for another day.
Senator Cherargey on the other hand faces a lot of resistance from Sang's supporters mainly because of his political stand against the governor. He however should be more objective in his critiquing of the government.
Generally, the sole responsibility of running the county lies with the governor and his executive, whether he delivers on his promises (free milk to school going kids, improved healthcare, better roads etc) it is the electorate that will decide whether to give the governor a second chance based on his performance.
"Mr Sang, you will be the marking scheme for youthful leadership. You have the responsibility of ensuring that your youthful government performs way above average!"
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