The Nairobi County Public Service Board has rejected allegations of bribery and procedural misconduct, emphasizing its role in addressing chronic staffing shortages. Board chairman Philip Kung’u defended the recruitment process during an interview, stating, "How can we be accused of sabotage when we are helping the county to get more staff to address the deficit that has been existing?"
Kung’u asserted that all board activities are documented and conducted under executive directives. "We do our work based on requests from the Executive," he said. The board faces criticism over delayed hiring of traffic marshals, firefighters, and ECDE teachers, with some alleging lax oversight.
Assembly Health Committee chairman Peter Warutere accused the board of corruption in medical staff recruitment, while the board cited member departures as a challenge. Three members left in 2019: Chomba Munyi joined the National Gender and Equality Commission, Charity Kisutu became vice chair of the Public Service Commission, and Vesca Kagongo left the Nairobi government.
Despite incomplete staffing, Kung’u argued that recruitment cannot be halted. "We cannot stop a process which had started," he said, noting that financial commitments and board vacancies prompted a 2019 recruitment drive. Applications closed on February 18, 2019, with traffic marshal and other critical roles already filled.
The board is currently interviewing 1,159 candidates for 2018-2019 medical positions, including 356 nursing officers and 37 anesthetists. Kung’u warned that halting the process would worsen healthcare staff shortages, stating, "Nairobi residents will suffer from shortage of health staff" if interviews are stopped.
