Roselyne, Kuria return to former dockets in Governor Kihika’s fourth cabinet reshuffle

Governor Susan Kihika appears to have discovered a new way of reorganizing Nakuru County Government: move officials around, wait for the dust to settle, then move some of them back.

The latest changes in the county executive suggest that parts of the October reshuffle are being reversed, with three County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) returning to departments they previously headed, while others appear to have retained their new portfolios.

The developments raise questions about the rationale behind the frequent changes and whether the reshuffles are delivering the improvements in service delivery that the administration has promised.

For residents, the concern is not necessarily who occupies which office, but whether departments responsible for essential services have the stability and leadership needed to function.

Mungai's return to Health is among the most notable changes. She was moved to Water, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources in October, in a reshuffle that Mtaa Wangu reported as the third major restructuring of Kihika's administration since she took office in 2022.

She was replaced by Stephen Kuria Muiruri, who had previously served in Trade, Cooperatives, Tourism and Culture and has since returned.

Nelson Tanui Maara has also reportedly returned to his former portfolio, making three CECMs who have gone back to departments they previously occupied.

However, the changes have not been a complete reversal with Ambrose Ngare Ogeto, who was moved to Youth, Sports, Gender, Social Services and Inclusivity, appears to have retained the portfolio. Elga Adoyo Riaga, who moved to Public Service, Training and Devolution, also appears to have remained in her new department.

The October changes involving Chief Officers have also raised questions about whether all the proposed movements were implemented.

Margaret Wanjiru Kinyanjui, who was serving as Chief Officer for Agriculture, was expected to move to Water, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, with Joyce Ncece moving from Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance to take over Agriculture. However, the county's latest listings still show Kinyanjui and Ncece still in their departments.

But what exactly was the objective of moving them around in the first place?

The implications are particularly important in Health, where the department has continued to face operational challenges during the leadership transition.

In the weeks following Mungai's transfer, concerns emerged over service delivery in public hospitals. Renal patients at Nakuru and Naivasha protested disruptions to dialysis after machines broke down, with some forced to undergo shorter treatment sessions.

At Naivasha, mothers also protested after being locked inside the hospital amid congestion and challenges in managing patients.

These problems unfolded as Mungai was settling into Water and Environment, where she was seeking to acclimatize herself with her new workforce and establish systems in her new department.

Her return to Health now raises questions about what the transfer was intended to achieve and whether the intervening months brought meaningful improvements to either department.

Beyond the individual departments, frequent changes in county leadership also carry an administrative cost.

Every time a CECM moves, the incoming official must familiarize themselves with ongoing programs, pending decisions, departmental priorities and administrative challenges. The outgoing official leaves with institutional knowledge, while the new one must establish working relationships and understand existing systems before implementing their priorities.

This is not to suggest that county executives cannot perform in different departments. Governors are constitutionally empowered to organize their administrations, and moving officials can be a legitimate way of matching competencies to government priorities.

But there is a difference between strategic redeployment and repeatedly moving officials around without clearly demonstrating what the changes are expected to achieve.

Kihika's administration is now in its final year of the five-year term, with the next General Election scheduled for August 2027.

Four years into office, residents should reasonably expect departments to have established systems, clear priorities and measurable progress on the governor's manifesto.

The governor has previously defended changes in her administration as necessary to tap into the competencies and energies of her team, aligning them with priorities on service delivery and project implementation.

That explanation would be more convincing if residents could see the results.