Lobbying for the position of County Secretary comes at a time when speculation is rife that Governor Sakaja has fallen out with his Deputy, Njoroge Muchiri. The alleged fallout has left Mount Kenya power brokers in the city without an influential office at City Hall to run to for business deals
The Governor of Nairobi Johnson Sakaja is under immense pressure from Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua plus other senior politicians from Mount Kenya to fill the vacant County Secretary position with “one of our own”.
The County Secretary position fell vacant following the rejection of Dr Jirus Musumba by the Nairobi County Assembly. Governor Sakaja later appointed the city’s Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo in an acting capacity. Mr Analo is also said to be interested in the seat. According to sources well-versed in the ongoing lobbying for the position, politicians from the Mount Kenya region have vowed to use all within their powers, including arm-twisting the governor to ensure the lucrative and powerful position goes to a person of their choice.
Lobbying for the position of County Secretary comes at a time when speculation is rife that Governor Sakaja has fallen out with his Deputy, Njoroge Muchiri. The alleged fallout has left Mount Kenya power brokers in the city without an influential office to run to when cutting deals, it is as a result of the above that Governor Sakaja is under pressure to ensure that the next substantive CS hails from the mountain region. Further, the DP and his supporters are said to have agreed that since Mount Kenya West already holds the DG’s position, the CS should come from Mount Kenya East (Meru, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi counties).
The Weekly Vision has gathered that power brokers from Mount Kenya have been burning the midnight oil shopping for a preferred candidate. Impeccable sources told us that they have settled on Mr. John Ntoiti who comes from Meru County and is a close ally of former Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi.
DP Rigathi Gachagua’s camp says that Mr Ntoiti is not new to operations at City Hall having served as Chief Officer in charge of Sub County Administration in Governor Evans Kidero’s administration for five years. When Mike Sonko took over from Kidero, Mr Ntoiti’s contract had already expired and was not renewed. Ntoiti later relocated to his home county of Meru where Governor Kiraitu appointed him to yet another powerful position of Revenue Manager.
He served in Kiraitu’s administration until September 2022 when the newly elected Governor Mwangaza Kawira terminated his contract. Kawira carried out a serious purge where most of Kiraitu’s allies were shown the door. In January 2023 when the Nairobi County Public Service Board advertised to fill the vacant CS position, Mr Ntoiti applied and was shortlisted alongside other candidates. He was interviewed unfortunately for him; luck was not on his side.
Sources say he was fronted by the same forces from Mount Kenya but Governor Sakaja had at the time settled on former acting CS Jirus Musumba. The decision did not go down well with MCAs from the mountain who had lobbied hard to have one of their own (Ntoiti) occupy the powerful position. It is out of frustration that they too lobbied to have Sakaja’s preferred candidate Jairus Musumba rejected by MCAs. This is the second time power brokers from Mount Kenya plan to push Mr Ntoiti down the throat of Governor Sakaja.
Sources at City Hall told The Weekly Vision that this time round Governor Sakaja has been caught flat-footed and has no reason to reject Mr Ntoiti. The same sources say that Mr Ntoiti has been a frequent visitor to the DG’s office who is himself widely believed to be part of the game plan to make Ntoiti the new substantive CS. Mr Ntoiti also enjoys the support of two former governors in Evans Kidero and Kiraitu Murungi.
Already Sakaja has appointed Christine Ireri as the acting County Attorney and again speculations are rife that the appointment was made under duress; DP Rigathi Gachagua wants to take full control of City Hall. There is also fresh speculation that former Governor Ann Kananu is lobbying for a top job at City Hall, she too comes from Mount Kenya East of Embu County.
Another name being mentioned is that of former CS in Sonko’s government Leboo ole Morintat. Sources say top Maasai politicians have been lobbying to have Mr Leboo get a state job but that has failed. His perceived links to ODM leader Raila Odinga must have cost him a lucrative job.
