Wins, controversy and a shocking exit: The story of Nakuru's sports CEC

When news of the nomination of a new County Executive for Sports, Gender, and Social Inclusivity was announced, it came as a surprise to Nakuru residents.

But as Mtaa Wangu has come to learn, the current CEC Josephine Achieng’ too was caught off-guard. 

In a phone interview with Mtaa Wangu, Achieng’ reveals she only learned of the nomination of Elga Adoyo Riaga, after seeing the gazette notice. 

“The appointing authority nominated another person in that docket without my knowledge. The move left me a bit confused given my two-and-a-half-year record in a position where most predecessors barely lasted twelve months,” she states.

Achieng’ notes that, although her contract, like those of other CECMs, was due to expire on August 30, the nomination was a clear signal that she would not be returning.

Even at that, she still expressed gratitude to Governor Susan Kihika for allowing her to finish her contact term.

But how did she get here? 

Achieng’s journey to the CEC position was far from ordinary. Rising from the gritty streets of Kwa Ronda slums the executive boardrooms of county leadership.

Her time in office was marked by policy breakthroughs and controversy.

In her successes, Achieng’ says she is proud to have introduced Nakuru’s first-ever Youth and Gender Policy since devolution.

She also established youth empowerment centres in Bondeni, Menengai and the Naivasha one to be commissioned soon. 

Additionally, she pushed through amendments to the PWD Act and fund regulations, unlocking Sh27.5 million for persons with disabilities and also supported the registration of PWD to enable them to get NCPWD certificate for ease of doing business and other social support.    

Achieng’ was known to love sports appearnces. Her last field event was the Kenya National Sevens Circuit, Prinsloo 7s, where she awarded the winning female team, Kenya Harlequins. 

Just days earlier, on August 4, she had attended a high-level meeting with the Council of Governors alongside other County Sports Executives, discussing devolution, sports funding, infrastructure, and policy, with a particular focus on the management of KICOSCA and KYISA Games. 

In that same meeting, she was elected as an official of the national caucus of County Sports Executives, a role she barely had time to serve before her abrupt exit.

She says she will serve in this capacity till August 30, when her contract will come to an end.

Her tenure, however, was not without controversy. She faced online backlash when Nakuru-based gospel artists Sammy G and Kaleson accused her of issuing a bad cheque intended to support their music production. 

Other than that, her docket came under scrutiny after residents complained about substandard sports equipment linked to a Sh27 million allocation. Asked about this in an interview she requested not to comment on the matter. 

She also cited the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as one of her most difficult challenges, noting that while she launched an online GBV reporting system, the gender directorate’s limited budget made it difficult to have this area shine. 

Despite the turbulence, Achieng’ says she had to bury her head in the sand and avoid the naysayers. 

“You cannot fight every war and expect to win. Sometimes you have to let the scoreboard speak for itself. You win some, you lose some,” she says. 

And while the county’s political winds have shifted, Achieng’s next chapter remains unwritten.

She concludes by saying, “The Waziri experience was marred with a lot of challenges. I was tossed up and down, beaten left, right, centre but I am happy I had a chance to serve.”