Kisumu County government is set to employ 700 Early Childhood Development (ECD) and 70 drivers should the county assembly approve the supplementary budget.
While addressing journalists at a Kisumu hotel, Communication, Planning and Development Chief Officer George Akong'o said that in March, the county government will recruit 700 staff to 640 ECD centres within the county.
“Our target is to employ 1900 staff because they require at least three ECD teachers in each centre,” said Akong'o.
“But because of shortage of funding and other priorities in the county, we are starting with 700 and employ more the next financial year,” added Akong’o.
He said the 70 drivers are additional to the 16 drivers who were inherited from the former municipality government system.
“There's been habit of confusion, people are saying we are recruiting drivers yet we have drivers,” said Akong'o.
“We have quite a number of vehicles still at the park yard. This is because we are waiting for the recruiting of the drivers in charge of the vehicles,” added Akong’o.
He said the Sh2.8 billion county wedge bill is still a challenge to the county development efforts.
According to Communication chief officer, Kisumu spends Sh250 million to pay salaries of at least 3000 employees.
“We believe with the commitment of National Government to provide us with funds to do audit skills. After the audit skills we will move to retrenchment program,” added the officer.
He said that after retrenchment, the county wedge bill should be manageable.