A standoff has been witnessed at City Hall as Nairobi governor Mike Sonko clashed with the Public Service Commission (PSC) over the transfer of 6052 county employees.
Embattled Sonko has urged the county staff to ignore the directive by PSC seconding the workers into the newly formed Nairobi Metropolitan Service.
Through a letter dubbed “Nullification of the meeting called by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services through the Public Service Commission,” Sonko has accused the officials of using a repugnant manner to implement the deed of transfer of functions.
“Foremost, I wish to register my great displeasure and disappointment, and that of the entire Nairobi City County Government, in the ATROCIOUS and REPUGNANT manner with which a few officials from the national government have chosen to pursue the implementation the Deed of Transfer of Functions that I signed on February 25, 2020, at State House Nairobi, and witnessed by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta,” reads the letter in part.
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NULLIFICATION OF THE MEETING CALLED BY THE NAIROBI METROPOLITAN SERVICES THROUGH THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
CHECK LINK FOR DETAILS: https://t.co/JJ8XhiofeJ
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) April 4, 2020
Sonko added that the PSC has demonstrated impunity by ordering employees to show up at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) hence disregarding President Uhuru’s directive that prohibits large gatherings amid COVID-19 menace.
Also, Sonko alluded that the PSC has no authority nor is under no jurisdiction to issue directives to Nairobi County workers.
“They have totally disregarded the great risk they shall be exposing to these employees as the country battles with the COVID-19 pandemic that has so far claimed four (4) lives and infected over 100 people,” Sonko said.
Earlier, the PSC Chairman Stephen Kirogo through a notice directed 6052 county workers to report at KICC on Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7 from 8AM to 4PM for collection of letters of secondment.
Kirogo ideally stated that the transfer of the staff was in compliance with the transfer of functions to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services that was effective April 1, 2020.
Kirago warned of dire consequences to be taken against employees who would fail to show up.
Governor Sonko through his letter has nullified the meeting echoing that the Nairobi Metropolitan Service should operate within its mandate and leave Nairobi County Public Service Board to notify employees of the purported secondment.
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“As it stands, the responsibility still remains with the Nairobi County Public Service Board to notify its employees of the purported secondment. The Public Service Commission, on the other hand, should operate within its mandate, and can only second national government officers to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services,” reads the letter.
According to Sonko, President Uhuru was very categorical in the roles to be played by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service, hence adds that certain individuals’ aim is to hijack the noble mission that he embarked with President Uhuru.
He added, “The result is the anarchy that is quickly brewing, where all known protocols and procedures are being blatantly broken in the name of operationalizing the NMS. I want to assure them that that will never happen under my watch.”