The Kiambu County Government has announced the dismissal of four county employees, who were replaced almost immediately after their sacking.
In a Gazette notice dated March 24, 2025, the county government, through the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, Gender, Culture, and Social Services, Mercy Njagi, revoked the appointments of four bursary committee members.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7 of the Kiambu County Education Bursary Fund Act, 2014, the County Executive Committee Member for Education revokes the appointment of the persons named in the first column of the schedule as members of Ward Education Bursary Committees of respective wards," the notice read.
Among those who were dismissed were Immaculate Wanja Mang'ere, the chairperson of Muguga Ward; Peter Kanja Kimani, the chairperson of Uthiru Ward; and Jane Njeri Makumi and Mariticron Wangui, who are members of Uthiru Ward and Ikunu Ward, respectively.
The county government, however, did not disclose why the four members were dismissed.
In an interesting turn, Njagi also gazetted five new committee members to replace the sacked lot in the same gazette notice.
The new members included three chairpersons - Nelson Njenga Githinji (Mugunga Ward), Loise Njoki Maina (Kijabe Ward), and Joseph Njuguna Wanjiru (Uthiru Ward) and two committee members - Esther Nyambura Nyutu (Ikunu Ward) and Beatrice Wambura Muchiri (Uthiru Ward).
While it is unclear why the committee members were dismissed, such occurrences typically take place for several plausible reasons, including potential mismanagement of funds, failure to perform duties, corruption, and bribery, and in some cases, structural reforms can also see committee members lose their positions.
In some cases, committee members can be dismissed because of a breach of ethical standards, especially if they are implicated in controversies that could potentially hurt the reputation of a committee as sensitive as a County Education Bursary Fund.
Notably, this is the second time in less than a month that there has been a shake-up in the Kiambu County government.
In March, 22 members of the Ward Education Bursary Committee were dismissed in a Gazette notice, with the reason for their dismissal also not made public.
A separate case from Migori in January saw the county government explain the dismissal of more than 100 county government employees, with a majority of them losing their positions after the review of several parameters including; Staff performance appraisal, relevant academic documents, relevant registration, and valid licenses as well as disciplinary cases.
