Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna raised concerns about the qualifications of individuals appointed to key positions in the Nairobi County Fire Department. He questioned why theologians and individuals with unrelated degrees, such as library studies and tours and travel, were employed in crucial firefighting and disaster management roles.
During a session before the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Chief Officer Disaster Management Bramwel Simiyu faced scrutiny over these appointments. Simiyu confirmed that individuals like Anastacia Syombua and Julianna Nziuki indeed had degrees in theology, and Brian Kariuki, although labeled as the chief fire officer, was part of the firefighting team.
Sifuna highlighted the mismatch of skills, emphasizing the importance of qualified personnel for effective service delivery. Senator Sifuna assured Governor Johnson Sakaja that the inquiry aimed to enhance service delivery structures, not undermine the administration.
“This is intended to help you reallocate these resources in a manner that will be most efficient for the people of Nairobi,” he said. The senator also called on Simiyu to review his department and ensure that qualified individuals were assigned duties in which they had expertise.
“There is a mismatch of skills in your department. We have nothing personal against you or the mentioned officers. Those officers could be very useful in other departments where their qualifications are relevant,” Sifuna said.
Simiyu was on the spot last year for disclosing that Nairobi county was planning to buy fire trucks, inflatable boats and motorboats to help them access flooded areas during the El Nino rains season.
