The North Rift region elected technocrats as their governors as opposed to politicians, giving hope that the counties will be run professionally.
Though many politicians expressed their interest to become pioneer governors, the region rejected them and went for managers.
Of all the seven counties in the region, six of them chose technocrats as their Chief Executive Officers save for Turkana County that picked Joseph Nanok, a politician.
Most of the governors elected have a wealth of expertise and experience and are expected to turn around the economy of the counties through efficient and effective management.
County affairs
In Baringo, former Higher Education Loans Board Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Cheboi takes over as the county’s governor. Mr Cheboi comes in with a wealth of managerial experience that is expected to revolutionise the county.
The county governments will be led by the governor and are expected to have reliable resources of revenue to enable them govern and deliver services efficiently.
The county governor and the deputy are charged with management of affairs of each county. In Elgeyo/Marakwet County, Alex Tolgos, an engineer by profession, was picked as the governor in a hotly contested race.
Mr Tolgos had previously held a number of senior managerial positions in the private sector and the residents are optimistic that he would help turn around the county.
Uasin Gishu County, the region’s financial and economic hub settled on Jackson Mandago as its first governor in the historic elections. Mr Mandago, an educationist, brings in management experience from the public service where he had worked at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) before he declared his interest in the seat.
Trans Nzoia County chose one of the experienced chief executive officers, Patrick Khaemba, a former Livestock Permanent Secretary who would be tasked with improving the county’s agricultural sector to be more vibrant.
He is credited for among others turning around the fortunes of the defunct Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC), which was revived and is now vibrant. Khaemba has also some experience in financial management, having served in senior positions in the banking sector, including the African Development Bank (ADB).
Development
And now that the 47 counties have elected their respective governors, it would be interesting to watch how they would streamline their operations. Each of these counties has one or more urban centres of varying sizes and significance, which are currently managed by various urban municipal authorities and town councils.
For successful social and economic development, it is important for Kenya to understand the role and needs of its cities and towns as well as that of the people.
The urban areas must be seen as centres of innovation, industrialisation, education, science and technology and culture and whose resources can be tapped or mobilised to uplift many Kenyans out of poverty. -Standard Digital
