Disquiet as Newton Mwaura assumes Deputy County Secretary role

When Newton Mwaura, the former county Chief Officer for Agriculture, was dispatched to Bahati Sub-County on Jamhuri Day to represent Governor Susan Kihika in an official function, he did so in the capacity of a Deputy County Secretary (DCS).

This is a role he has been serving since October 2025, despite there being no official public communication regarding his appointment.

A deep dive into the records by Mtaa Wangu established that Mwaura has been attending high-level county and local meetings and, until recently, represented the Governor in his new capacity, despite no public record of his swearing-in ceremony.

Article 74 of the Constitution requires all state officers to take an oath before assuming office or performing any official duties.

While the Constitution doesn't explicitly list deputy county secretaries as members of the county executive, members of the Nakuru county assembly note that the position falls under the broader category of state officers who must first be vetted by the house and confirmed before performing official duties.

In September 2025, Governor Susan Kihika announced a major reshuffle in her administration, which saw Eng Margaret Kinyanjui take over as Chief Officer for the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Veterinary Services, replacing Mwaura, who had held the position since July 2023.

Prior to this, he was the Chief Officer in the office of the governor after his official appointment in December 2022, according to the county's official website.

It is understood that Mwaura was moved to the position of Deputy County Secretary sometime after the reshuffle around October 2025

However, a search of official county communications and public records reveals no announcement of a swearing-in ceremony for him in his new role.

Stanley Karanja, the Member of County Assembly for Naivasha East Ward, in an interview with Mtaa Wangu termed the appointment as "an irregularity."

Karanja confirms that Mwaura's appointment as the DCS has never been presented to the County Assembly for vetting.

“We just heard that there is a Deputy,” Karanja says. “The name was never brought to the assembly.”

The MCA explains that all formal county appointments must go through the assembly for approval.

“If it were formal, anything formal must come to the assembly. Because even the Chief Officers are brought to the assembly for vetting,” he notes.

According to Karanja the County Assembly's oversight role has been compromised.

On his part, William Mutai, the Majority Leader at the County Assembly has also raised serious concerns about the existence of the Deputy County Secretary position itself.

Speaking to Mtaa Wangu, Mutai, too, questions whether the position even exists within the county's administrative structure.

“I don't know whether that position exists. It is like it does not exist in the structure, in the administrative structure,” he says. “And so we cannot even question the procedure before we question the availability of that position.”

The Keringet ward MCA acknowledges that while most appointments fall under the governor's prerogative, the assembly had contemplated whether the Deputy County Secretary position was proper.

“We were also contemplating whether it was right or not. But we postponed it until we come back from recess, and then we find out, then it can be petitioned in the assembly,” Mutai explains and confirms that the appointment was never formally brought before the Assembly.

He says that the matter will be addressed when the assembly reconvenes in February 2026.

Karanja emphasizes that the county government will need to justify the position.

“They'll have an opportunity to defend themselves, because that is a position without a portfolio. But you know, as an oversight group, we may not just accept because resources are getting used, public resources are getting used,” he notes.

Mutai warns that if the position is found to be unlawful, the assembly will take action.

“If it is something that is unprocedural, if it is something that's unlawful, then definitely we'll have to stop. Yes, we'll give our opinion as the county assembly," he states firmly.

Our efforts to reach out to the Chief of Staff, Dr Peter Ketienya for a comment were futile as he did not return our calls or respond to our text messages.

Mwaura is a Bachelor of Commerce alumnus from Egerton University; however, we cannot ascertain his experience prior to December 2022, after his first appointment to the county administration.