NAIROBI, Kenya – Governors could soon lose the power to appoint unlimited numbers of chief officers if new legislative amendments proposed by the Senate are enacted.
The Senate Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee is recommending changes to the County Governments Act, 2012, to set both minimum and maximum limits for the number of chief officers that counties can appoint.
The proposal is aimed at curbing the runaway wage bills and bloated bureaucracies that have plagued devolved units in recent years.
According to a report tabled in the Senate, the committee wants the number of chief officers per county capped at a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 22.
These officers serve as accounting heads of county departments, playing a role equivalent to principal secretaries in the national government.
“The committee recommends an amendment of the County Governments Act to provide for the maximum and minimum number of county chief officers to be appointed,” the report states.
The move follows revelations that some governors, taking advantage of the legal loophole, have appointed as many as 30 chief officers.
One such example is Garissa Governor Nathif Jama, whose administration was flagged for excessive appointments during a Senate probe into governance failures in the county.
“The huge number of county chief officers places an unsustainable burden on the county’s wage bill,” the committee, chaired by Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass, warned.
With counties grappling with mounting pending bills—now ballooning past Sh172 billion— lawmakers say the unchecked hiring has diverted funds away from development and essential public services.
In addition to staffing caps, the committee is also pushing for strict timelines on appointments to fill key leadership roles.
Although the law currently requires governors to nominate a chief officer within 14 days of a vacancy, enforcement has remained weak, with some positions left vacant for months—crippling service delivery and financial oversight.
The proposed reforms are part of a broader Senate initiative to tighten oversight over county operations, particularly on fiscal discipline, staffing structures, and public resource management.
They come amid growing public concern over wasteful spending and poor service delivery in several devolved units.
If adopted, the amendments could lead to leaner, more efficient county governments and free up resources for infrastructure, healthcare, and other development priorities.
