Kisumu County Public Service Board (KCPSB) has been out on the spot for irregularities in the recruitment of candidates for different positions in the county government.
A whistleblower report seen by Kenya Insights from an insider alleges a conspiracy by some members of the board to force their own candidates into the system. “The current short listings that have been posted on the website under KCPSB secretariat staff are positions board members created for themselves to hire their kids, relatives and people who paid the money to get the jobs which is very unfair to people who genuinely qualify for those jobs.” The whistleblower talking to Kenya Insights alleges.
The county public service board CEO Hesbon Hongo has particularly been accused of plotting to recruit some of his relatives into lucrative positions. One of the controversially shortlisted candidates is Amondi Wendy Silvia who is said to be the second born child to Mr.Hongo who recently graduated from Maseno University. His firstborn son Emmanuel Hongo also works at the county with a job group higher than what was advertised. Ms. Amondi has been short listed for human resource and development officer position.
Another relative of Mr. Hongo who’s been shortlisted is Ayata Benfrank Omondi, according to the report, he’s the nephew to the board secretary and is currently serving on the same position but contract basis and has only applied to get confirmed on PnP terms. “Note: he was employed at the board without doing any interviews or there being any existing advertisement, he was just issued an appointment letter November last year.” The report notes.
Cecelia Tabitha Oduor said to be an acquaintance of the current board secretary for a long time and was promised this position (chief legal officer).
Other board members have also schemed to bring in their candidates we’re informed.
Gloria Ndalo one of the candidates we realize that her full names are Gloria Ndalo Orot, she’s the daughter to one of the board members DR.Orot (receptionist position). They dropped her last name on the shortlisting list to conceal her identity.
Amondi Seda Elizabeth, a relative to one of the board members who has been shortlisted and will be selected for the PA position
Consequently, whistleblowers of his dark operations have appealed to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to launch investigations aimed at establishing circumstances that have prompted the officer to overstay in that particular position.
The newspaper claimed that there’s a plot between Hongo and the governor to interfere with recruitment exercises in perceived lucrative positions in the County.
Sources revealed that in November, the two had a secret dinner meeting at the governor’s Seme residence where they fraudulently arranged how to position Nyongo’s preferred candidates in the recently advertised jobs for chief officers and directors.
The officer also reportedly used the nocturnal meeting to bargain for his future placement at the recently established Kisumu County Revenue Authority, well aware that his term at the public service board had expired.
It’s also emerging that Nyong’o who hails from Seme Sub County strategically chose to retain Hongo, said to be his village mate, as the CEO of the board with the aim of helping the governor to conduct a smooth transition of staff from the previous administration headed by Ranguma.
Hongo in his own confession has repeatedly narrated to all and sundry how the former governor, Ranguma, picked him from Chemelil sugar factory to offer him a lucrative job at the County government.
According to reliable sources, Hongo and Nyongo have worked on a harmonized list of preferred chief officers and directors that the governor has ostensibly instructed him to work with.
The action has reduced the advertisement process as a matter of formality while those earmarked for the jobs are already known, something that appears not to be going down well with local activists.
The publication said they had in possession a damning recorded conversation between Hongo and Seme North MCA Millicent Omuya in which they shared details of how the CEO’s meeting with the governor was to be put into action.
Despite his office, Hongo is said to be heavily engaged in local politics and this was exposed recently when he bitterly campaigned against former majority leader Samuel Onyango Ong’ow while supporting Elisha Oraro during the hotly contested county assembly speaker position.
Omuya had previously declared her undying support for Ong’ow but was cajoled at the last minute by Hongo to vote for Oraro.
It’s not immediately clear what prompted the current hatred Hongo has towards Ong’ow, despite the fact that it’s Ong’ow who introduced him and persuaded Ranguma to uproot him from ailing Chemilil sugar factory, to the lucrative position at the county government.
According to sources, on the material day that voting for speaker’s position was conducted, Hongo was strategically placed at the public gallery of the assembly to blackmail MCA Omuya, who previously served as his personal secretary ahead of venturing in politics.
Omuya later made a confession to the effect the man instilled fear in him and even threatened to expose some of the dirty things she did during her time as the secretary.
