Danstan Omari: There's nothing wrong with appointing spouses

This as Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been put on the radar of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC), accusing her of violating Chapter Six of the Constitution and various other laws in her running of affairs of the county.

According to Omari, leaders should not be faulted because there are exclusive positions in the governor's office which provide them an allowance to appoint members of their choice to "advise the governor".

He added that the Constitution (Bill of Rights) dictates that nobody should be victimized by virtue of being a relative.

"There is nothing wrong with appointing a husband or a wife. Under the law there is a law dealing with spouses. If we go on the question of competence in article 22 and 23 nobody should be discriminated by virtue of being a relative," he said speaking on NTV Tuesday morning.  

"The creation of public office within the counties is a preserve of the Public Service Board and the county but there are positions exclusive to the governor which are political advisors advising the governor. Are we seeing a narrative being created that women cannot be governors?" he posed.

He likened the appointments by Mwangaza to the positions President William Ruto has made in the Executive Office of the President, noting that there are also no legal conditions for the individuals appointed to those positions. 

"There are also those positions which the President has appointed controller of State House. There is no legal qualification on who fits that position. Every executive office has room to get people to run that office," he said.

EACC has accused Governor Mwangaza of nepotism where she employed her spouse, Murega Baicu, as the youth service patron and ambassador for hustlers.

She is also accused of also accused of employing two of her sisters; one as a personal assistant and another another as her security personnel.

Her Homa Bay counterpart Gladys Wanga was also censured for irregularly appointing 11 advisors, 10 of whom have been deployed to her office.

EACC stated that only the county public service board is mandated with establishing or abolishing public offices in a county

They have since been ordered to respond to the matter before the EACC.