Valentine Chumo: Is she a targeted county executive?

Nandi's education cec Valentine Chumo

The County executive committee member for Education and Vocational training Valentine Chumo has been recommended for sacking by the  Nandi County Assembly. The assembly has accused the member of gross incompetence and inefficiency accusing her of overseeing mismanagement of resources in her department.

The Education and Vocational training committee which is chaired by the Ol'lessos member of county assembly Hon. Emmanuel Rono tabled a report that had been signed by all the members to the assembly on 2nd April 2019 with a raft of recommendations.

However, what has baffled a number of observers is the fact that most of the issues she is being accused of are issues that had rocked the previous CEC, Stanley Baliach. "How comes Mrs. Valentine is being made to account for the sins of the predecessor? Why couldn't the said committee summon Mr. Baliach to account for the mess he left at his previous office?" quipped Mr. Kemboi a concerned resident.

Late last year, governor Stephen Sang moved some of his executive committee members to different departments.This saw madam Valentine move from the tourism docket to the education one. Some of the notable programs being run by the education docket include the ambitious setting up of sixty E.C.D centers in the county.

Among the issues raised by the committee include the fact that there has been slow progress in the construction of these centers. According to the document tabled in the assembly, the committee noted that water was a main challenge in the building of these centers, however, the report notes that the department has not provided a solution to the issue.

The other issue was the expiry of cement meant for construction works. The Committee noted that a substantial quantity of cement had already expired. It is however noted that the cement was supplied in the previous financial year therefore the best person to account for that is the current Lands CEC Stanley Baliach.

A section of women leaders have come out guns blazing condemning the decision by the Assembly committee to pass a vote of no confidence motion on the CEC. In a signed statement making rounds online, the women leaders faulted the committee accusing its chair of high handedness and bias.

"We demand to know why it took the committee all that long to summon the CEC education yet, Hon. Mengeech did nothing previously despite the fact that he was the whistle blower in the alleged loss of 13 million shillings meant for poor school going children in the county." read part of the statement seen by Nandi News.

when contacted for comment, the CEC stated that she was baffled with the way the Assembly committee had conducted its business. " It is surprising how the committee came up with its findings barely a week after summoning me.I mean such serious issues would demand that thorough investigations be conducted to separate facts from hear-says. However, the committee quickly did its investigations and never gave me a chance to clear my name as is the procedure in any judicial system. The constitution gives any Kenyan a chance to fair hearing." She said.

In its findings, the committee gave the appointing authority seven days to effect its recommendation of  removing the CEC from office.