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At least 140 senior officials are to be recruited in each of the 47 counties by October to prepare for the swearing in of governors and other elected officials after the General Election.

A government task force has proposed that public servants to work as clerks of county assemblies, deputy clerks and sergeant-at-arms be appointed six month before the elections.

The Public Service Ministry task force on devolved governments termed the recruitment the staff and creation of physical space for the operations of the assembly as urgent and called for immediate measures to have them in place.

“They need to be urgently identified to be in position at least six months before the county elections in order to familiarise themselves with parliamentary procedures,” the report, dated May, says.

Specifically, the officials will need to be trained on conducting swearing in ceremonies and effect parliamentary regulations including standing orders.

The Report on Devolved Functions, Structures and Staffing for County Governments recommends that the recruited staff be trained at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the National Assembly.

“In addition to establishing the legislative wing of the county assemblies, an executive wing comprising of technical officers to provide support services will also require to be established.”

According to the task force report, the period between now and the General Election provides a window through which the central government can build the capacities to start the operations of the county assemblies.

“This will afford the central government opportunity to allocate the requisite budgetary resources for the financing of operations of the county assemblies,” the report said.

The Public Service ministry and the Public Service Commission will develop laws to guide staffing of county offices.

The ministry will take care of developing specific policies that will govern the appointment of staff in county government, the report says.

The Constitution vests the responsibility of staffing county governments in the county public service boards.

But the task force expressed doubt over the ability of the boards to immediately execute their mandate upon establishment fearing they might not have the requisite capacities.