Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso has announced that 3500 County Government officers will be sent home after the expiry of their contracts.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, Dr Laboso stated that she would not renew employees' contracts and would, therefore, be removed from the payroll.
The Governor stated that the move was part of the efforts to reduce the ballooning wage bill and change the current scenario where most of the officers were on contract terms without security of tenure and pension
Laboso noted that the persons holding the positions would be eligible to apply once the jobs are advertised.
“Our wage bill currently stands at 52 percent of our total budget. This is way above the recommended 35 percent,” Dr Laboso stated.
“From today, contracts that expire shall no longer be renewed. These positions will be advertised and filled competitively by the County Public Service Board," she added.
The Governor noted that she had appointed an ad-hoc committee to carry out staff audit and come up with a report that would guide staff levels, retention and realignment.
She assured that the committee would be professional and the process would be transparent and devoid of vendetta.
The employees, some of who were head hunted from the private sector, were placed on contracts after a disagreement between immediate former Governor Isaac Ruto and members of the Public Service Board.
