Chiefs to be promoted to higher positions under new scheme

The government has unveiled a new scheme of service for chiefs and their assistants which will see them promoted to higher positions within the national government.

Under the new scheme, the administrators can now rise to other positions, starting from assistant county commissioners, deputy county commissioners, county commissioners and regional coordinators.

Principal Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government Karanja Kibicho revealed this on Friday at Harambee House when he received Assistant Chief Caroline Vugutsa Olusala of Namunyiri Sub-Location, Kakamega County.

The assistant chief was in Nairobi, for the first time in her life, on a trip sponsored by Dr Kibicho.

During his official tour of Western Region last week, the PS asked who among chiefs and assistant chiefs present had never been to Nairobi.

Assistant Chief Vugutsa was the only one courageous enough to raise her hand, among the 400-plus chiefs, assistant chiefs, assistant commissioners and county commissioners.

When PS Kibicho announced to the gathering that he would sponsor the assistant chief for a three-day expedition of Nairobi, including a guided tour of Harambee House, more chiefs and assistant chiefs raised their hands prompting laughter in the hall.

OTHERS NOT LUCKY

“Poleni kwenu, hamna bahati kwa sababu hamkua na ujasiri kama naibu wa chifu huyu alivyokuwa. (Sorry, you are not lucky because you were not as courageous as this assistant chief),” Dr Kibicho responded.

Ms Vugutsa arrived in Nairobi on the eve of Mashujaa Day and visited Harambee on October 21 where she had audience with PS Kibicho in his office.

During the meeting with Dr Kibicho, the assistant chief expressed her gratitude to him for sponsoring her first trip to Nairobi.

She was accompanied by her husband and their four children, who too were visiting the capital city for the first time in their lives.

During the discussions with the PS, it emerged that the assistant chief had been in the same job group since her employment eight years ago.

This prompted the PS to direct the ministry’s human resources department to take immediate action and rectify the situation.

“It is not fair or right for an officer to stay in the same job group for eight years. It is very demoralising and should never be allowed to happen,” said Dr Kibicho.

It was at this point that the PS said that the government recognises the important role chiefs and their assistants play in the country and, as such, had come up with a new scheme of service to motivate them.

“Under the new scheme of service, the sky is the limit for chiefs and their assistants.

“A chief can rise to take any position in the national government administration structure so long as they have the relevant qualifications.

“So, the onus is on chiefs and their assistants to enrol for further education,” Dr Kibicho said.

Under the previous scheme of service, chiefs and their assistants could only rise up to the level of senior chief.