The Public Service Commission will on Saturday complete interviews for 585 Principal Secretary job applicants, with the focus shifting to President William Ruto.
Ruto is seeking to fill 50 state departmental slots available in the 22 ministries following the restructuring of the government two weeks ago.
In the new arrangement, Ruto has capped the number of PSs in each of the ministries at three as compared to the current five.
The PSC is expected to conclude the interviews, setting the stage for Ruto to receive a refined list, from which he will pick the 50.
It has emerged that the President faces a delicate balancing act to ensure regional, gender and ethnic considerations while picking his PSs.
PSC had initially made public a list of 477 individuals that comprised a former governor, politicians, current principal secretaries and managing directors of state corporations.
It was later amended adding another 108 new individuals.
“The Commission has reviewed the number of shortlisted candidates to deepen inclusivity about gender, the marginalised and minority groups, the youth and persons with disability under Article 232 1 (h) of the Constitution,” the commission said.
More than 9,000 applicants had expressed interest in the positions advertised in September.
Among the 108 on the additional list were Moses Lenolkulal former Samburu governor, Isaac Mwaura, David Sankok, Former Ambassador to Pakistan Julius Bitok, Jonathan Mueke, Joash Maangi and IEBC commissioner Boya Molu.
On Friday, the commission interviewed 60 candidates with the last batch of 46 appearing Saturday being the final day of the exercise that began on October 12.
Among those interviewed were Ilkerin High School principal Leonard Chepkwony who expressed optimism about advancing to the next stage and youth affairs principal secretary Charles Sunkuli.
Chepkwony, 50, is the first member of the Kipsigis community in Narok from the larger Transmara region to be shortlisted for the senior position.
If appointed, he will be the second person from the county to hold such a position after Devolution PS Julius Korir.
At the commission's headquarters where the interviews are being conducted, several panels made up of the eight commissioners had been set up to help fast-track the process.
According to sources, each of the candidates is allocated 30 minutes.
A panel has five members including the chairperson.
Questions being asked range from integrity, management of public finances and Kenya Kwanza’s manifesto among others.
Sources at the commission on Friday told the Star that about 150 names will be forwarded to the President early next week.
“As soon we finalise the exercise we are going to submit the final list of successful candidates for nomination,” an official privy to the process said.
The candidates, the source said, have been clustered based on their professions.
Article 132 (2) gives powers to the President to appoint with the approval of the national assembly Principal Secretary.
The Constitution also gives him the latitude to dismiss or reassign duties.
Once the President receives the names, he will nominate the candidates to each of the state departments and this may be based on their areas of expertise or specialisation.
The names will then be conveyed to the House and the relevant departmental parliamentary committees for vetting.
The committees will either approve or reject the nominees.
MPs approved their calendar on October 14 which saw them break for a short recess that ends on October 24.
They will resume on Tuesday with their first business being to constitute the committees and appoint their chairpersons that will be tasked with vetting the nominees.
A PS is responsible to the cabinet secretary and is the accounting or the authorised officer of the state department.
Specific duties include ensuring efficient and effective utilisation of financial, human and other resources in the department and submitting regular statutory reports as required and developing and implementing an effective performance management system.
They also help in implementing government policies and the strategic plan for the state department while facilitating the achievement of the goals and objectives of government and intergovernmental programmes and projects.
Kibet Langat, a Narok-based activist appealed to the President to allocate their region a position saying since independence Emurua Dikir has never had any senior state official in government.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris