Human rights activists are calling for the immediate dismissal of the entire Siaya County Public Service Board, accusing it of gross incompetence, nepotism, and orchestrating an employment scandal that has left hundreds of health workers jobless and unpaid.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kisumu on Thursday, Chris Owalla, Executive Director of the Community Initiative Action Group (CIAG), blasted the county administration for what he termed “systemic rot” within Siaya’s employment systems. He directed sharp criticism at Governor James Orengo for allegedly abdicating responsibility and failing to take decisive action against the board.
“The reality is the board is rotten,” said Owalla. “This is not just about health workers. If 502 people were hired irregularly, why have only 382 been dismissed? Why are 120 still on the payroll? This is blatant injustice.”
Owalla argued that the selective sacking was unfair and politically motivated, claiming that many of the retained employees had ties to Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and senior county officials. He said the dismissed workers, accused of securing jobs using forged documents, were scapegoats, many of whom had sold land or made personal sacrifices to secure the positions.
“There are young people who sold their land, women who were exploited just to get these jobs. Now they’ve been thrown under the bus while the connected ones stay employed,” he said.
He accused the Chief Executive Officer of the County Public Service Board, Wilfred Nyagudi, of being at the center of the scandal, describing him as the “orchestrator” of the county’s employment crisis. Owalla further alleged that individuals close to the governor, including his personal assistant and some MCAs, were deeply involved in corrupt hiring practices.
He didn’t spare the county assembly either, accusing MCAs of attempting to “sanitize” their allies among the remaining 120 workers, while allowing the rest to face unjust dismissal.
“The county assembly is guilty as charged. They are shielding their own people. This is not accountability; it’s impunity,” Owalla said.
Turning his criticism toward Governor Orengo, Owalla condemned what he termed a “lazy and detached” response to the crisis. He accused the governor of taking a backseat instead of providing leadership and called out his previous statement on the matter as insufficient.
“The governor must take charge. He cannot sit back while livelihoods are destroyed. His silence only empowers the corrupt,” he added.
Owalla urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to launch a comprehensive staff audit in Siaya County, saying that many people were earning salaries without doing any work, while those who had actually been on the job had been wrongfully terminated.
He also pointed to a broader issue within the devolved system, accusing other counties such as Kisumu and Homa Bay of similar corrupt practices.
“This is a cancer eating away at devolution. Public jobs have become a tool for rewarding relatives and political allies. It must stop,” Owalla concluded.
The scandal has reportedly paralyzed health services across Siaya, with hundreds of former health workers still unpaid for nine months of service. As pressure mounts on the governor and the county assembly, activists are warning that failure to act could lead to further unrest and a complete breakdown of public trust in the county government.
