Nairobi, 6th June 2024
The Incoming County Chief Officer for Economic Planning, Dr. Machel Waikenda was officially handed over the Economic Planning Sub Sector today
Dr. Waikenda takes over from Chief Finance Officer Asha Abdi, who has also been acting Chief Officer for Economic Planning.
County Executive, Finance and Economic Planning Sector, Charles Kerich welcomed Dr. Waikenda to the sector, and he highlighted the proactive measures taken by the current government under H.E. Governor Sakaja to institutionalize reforms and address past issues and challenges. “When you see this proactive spirit from the head of the institution, it is incumbent upon us to try and fix the same in our sectors as well. Some things may not work as they ought to, but my encouragement to you as the new Chief and the rest is to ensure every day you try and do something to improve your sector,” he said.
Mr. Kerich further shared that one of the initial decisions made by the current Government was to transition from manual to e-procurement, which would affect the entire county. “Some people saw it as a relief, and some thought it an inconvenience, but it is a decision we made and ran with it among other decisions,” he explained. He encouraged the departmental heads to identify “big wins” that would gradually improve the institution.
“As a facilitating sector, we are the heart of operations of the county. Our job is to ensure all sectors are facilitated, and we will continuously try to make improvements and reforms for our sector,” added Mr. Kerich.
Chief Finance Officer Asha Abdi welcomed Dr. Waikenda and informed him that he was joining a team known for its synergy and strong leadership under County Executive Charles Kerich. “We coordinate a lot of activities on behalf of the county. All planning activities do not solely lie in the Finance Sector; there are many multisectoral engagements, including stakeholders like the county assembly,” she said. She also praised the support of the proactive finance and budget county assembly committee
Dr. Waikenda expressed his gratitude and emphasized the collaborative nature of the Economic Planning Sub Sector within the broader finance sector. “At the end of the day, we will be evaluated based on the entire sector and not as Economic Planning alone,” he stated.
The new Chief was briefed on the sub sector’s pending and ongoing activities and programs.
The handover ceremony was attended by Head of County Treasury Martha Wambugu, Directors; Nancy Kiruri (Budget and Expenditure), Geoffrey Sianga (Economic Planning), Joshua Kimeu (Debt Management), Patrick Wanjohi (Accounting Services), Ward Development Fund CEO Eng. Eston Njiru, Assistant Director of Administration Ntolei Lemurt, and other officers.
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