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Ex-journalist Kerich is Sonko’s Mr Fix It

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By COLLINS OMULO
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When Charles Korgoren Kerich was interviewed in October 2017, he had been shortlisted by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to become the ICT and e-government executive in his inaugural Cabinet.

He was sworn in a month later after passing the vetting by the Nairobi County Assembly Appointments Committee.

But since then, the former Radio Africa Group editor-in-chief has grown in stature to become Governor Sonko’s ‘Mr Fix It’.

He is the go-to county executive whenever Mr Sonko is making changes to his Cabinet, having worked in four dockets since being sworn in.

Apart from the ICT department, Mr Kerich has been at the helm of Finance and Health dockets in an acting capacity, and is currently the Lands and Housing executive.

Mr Kerich started his sojourn in the various departments in February 26 this year when Mr Sonko announced the first reshuffle of his Cabinet.

The former chairman of the Media Council of Kenya was moved to the Lands department, replacing architect Peter Wachira Njuguna, who was moved to the Agriculture and Fisheries docket.

This was barely four months after taking over at the ICT docket, a department where he said his over 20 years’ experience in the media would give him a better leverage.

Barely two months later, Mr Kerich would find himself at the helm of another county docket.

He was appointed by Governor Sonko as the acting executive for Finance following the sacking of Dr Danvas Makori over accusations of “working with the governor’s enemies”.

Mr Kerich was to hold the position pending the approval of Mr Newton Munene by the assembly.

His stint at the coveted docket lasted over two months until another reshuffle by Mr Sonko which saw former Tourism and Cooperatives executive Allan Igambi Esabwa move into the docket with Mr Munene going the opposite direction.

Currently, he holds both the Lands and Health dockets, the latter in an acting capacity, following the suspension of Veska Kangogo, who was interestingly also holding the position in an acting capacity after the suspension of Hitan Majevdia in July 2018.

Political analyst and University of Nairobi lecturer Herman Manyora opines that Mr Kerich’s background as a journalist gives him an edge among other executives but he adds that it may also be because he is the most loyal and trusted Cabinet member that Governor Sonko has at his disposal.

“Either he is so competent that whenever there is need he is called upon to act or he could also be the most loyal and trusted among the county executives. Being a media person could also be a plus for him; he could be an expert in conflict and crisis management,” says Prof Manyora.

Nairobi County Assembly Minority Whip Peter Imwatok backs Prof Manyora’s sentiments admitting that indeed the Lands executive’s experience in the media industry gives him an edge over his counterparts as he knows how to relate with Governor Sonko.

The Makongeni MCA adds that Mr Kerich is very sharp and might be the only person who understands Mr Sonko.

“He is a sharp guy and when you listen to him you get that impression. I do believe that Mr Kerich understands how he (governor) thinks as they used to work together when he was in the media world. So he must know more about him than other executives,” says Mr Imwatok.

“Even during the Maryland account saga, it is Mr Kerich who wrote the reply. He might be the Mr Fix it that we agree every government must have,” adds Mr Imwatok.

But the ODM MCA says the constant shifting of Mr Kerich from one department to the other is contravening the County Governments Act which says that every county member must be appointed according to his professional qualifications.

“He is not being used optimally where he is supposed to be. He applied for the ICT [job] because that is where his professionalism lies. He is being shifted to every department that he even does not understand. I remember when he was at the Finance docket he did not understand what Public Finance Management Act entailed because his background is journalism,” he adds.



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