Mrs. Justine Sitti, a teacher by profession, sits in the mainstream of the County of Trans Nzoia County administration of George Natembeya among the men political advisers charting and traversing the difficult terrains in this multi-ethnic county for hers newly-found boss.
Until the 2022 General Election, Mrs. Sitti had been known as a perpetual political aspirant for Saboti Constituency and Trans Nzoia County Women seat without success but not after Natembeya won the polls in 2022 to become the second governor and appointed this career teacher as one of his right wing political handlers. Mrs. Sitti had risen to the top echelons of the County Early Childhood Education (ECD).
In drafting his original government, Gov Natembeya had to shop for a panel of imminent people to recruit his staff and when he looked around, he settled on Senior Principal Geoffrey Murunga of Goseta High School to team up with other panelist like renowned Tom Mshindi in carrying out the interviews for potential Executive Committee Members (CEC) members and County Chief Officers (CCOs).
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In his continuation of forming his administration, Natembeya as a former provincial commissioner seems to have a strange love for teachers and this perhaps led to him searching for more teachers and place them in strategic positions to spur his Manifesto on development.
Thus, former principal of Kipkekei Secondary and a seasoned writer Patrick Gacheru was picked to handle the CEC docket for Water before he was recently moved to head the Trade Department.
Three other principals Jackson Amboka, Julie Kichwen and Dickson Omocho resigned with the former duo being picked as CEC members and the later appointed as the Chief of Staff.
Amboka had headed several schools in Nandi before moving to Trans Nzoia where he called it quits while at St Vincent Mixed in Kiminini joining the county government while Mrs. Kichwen had worked in Uasin-Gishu and Omocho in West Pokot.
Then there is this CEC member Janerose Nasimiyu who briefly was a representative for women in the Trans Nzoia KUPPET branch leadership before he quit as a secondary teacher to take up the role of heading the Lands portfolio.
The list of teachers playing role in Nate’s, as the governor is fondly referred to, administration does not end here: we have several CCOs including Jane Masika for the department of ECD, Kennedy Etyang for Public Service Management, Dr Roselyline Nasiabanda for Sports and Sammy Sichangi for Governance.
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And when the county boss was about to complete forming his Cabinet he recalled that the office of the deputy County Secretary was vacant and he had to shop around before settling on another teacher Geoffrey Kisaka, former principal of Namwela Secondary in Bungoma County.
What is the secret behind Natembeya’s liking for the teachers for his administration? Do the other professionals feel left out from the county jobs? And are the former teachers delivering?
Until recently when there was an attempt to impeach Amboka as the CEC Member for Public Works for alleged incompentce and compromise, little was known of him as a teacher and it is then researchers started rating the performance of each CEC Members and CCO.
The attempted impeachment by the Members of the County Assembly of Trans Nzoia brought to the fore teachers’ hand in Natembeya’s government with Gacheru emerging as the most committed CEC member followed with Kichwen and Nasimiyu respectively.
While some had already submerged themselves in the local politics, the Chief of Staff topped those that are campaigning for elective seats for the 2027 polls, singling the governor’s whip. Omocho has set his eyes on Kiminini Constituency.
Just recently, one year into the office the county boss made a reshuffle of the Cabinet where teacher members — Kichwen and Gacheru were moved to new offices. Could this signal more changes to come? Is Natembeya contented with the performance of the teacher-turned Ministers and Chief Officers? Only time will tell.
By Our Reporter
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