Meru County is facing a tense standoff between Governor Kawira Mwangaza and the County Public Service Board (CPSB) over the hiring of new staff. At the heart of the dispute is a recruitment drive by the board that aims to fill at least 500 vacancies in critical sectors, including Health, Education, Agriculture, and Water.
The CPSB, led by Virginia Kawira Miriti, maintains that the county is grappling with a severe shortage of staff, particularly in the Health sector, where the current workforce is overwhelmed. Miriti emphasized that the health department is critically understaffed, with doctors and nurses attending to far more patients than recommended. For example, a single doctor in Meru is tasked with 11,761 patients, far surpassing the ideal ratio of 1:1,000. Similarly, nurses are stretched thin, with a nurse attending to 1,512 patients, while the recommended ratio is 1:400.
Despite the county executive’s objections, Miriti and the board remain firm in their stance, arguing that additional staff are essential for improving service delivery. The board’s argument is backed by the Meru County Assembly, which allocated Sh100 million for the recruitment of health staff in the 2024-2025 financial year.
However, Governor Mwangaza and County Secretary Dr. Kiambi Atheru have expressed concerns over the financial implications of such a move. Mwangaza cites a directive from the Controller of Budget, which has instructed the county to limit its wage bill due to its unsustainable nature. Currently, Meru’s wage bill stands at 40.3% of its revenue, exceeding the legal threshold of 35%. The executive is focused on replacing staff who have exited, rather than hiring new employees.
Governor Mwangaza has made it clear that any new recruitment will only be considered if the national government provides additional funds or if the county’s revenue generation improves. Meanwhile, the CPSB has continued with its recruitment process, urging applicants to apply for the advertised positions, despite the executive’s orders to halt the hiring.
This standoff highlights the ongoing struggle between the need for better staffing and the financial constraints faced by Meru County’s leadership.
