Nandi county Governor Stephen Sang has hailed the residents of Nyeri for their commitment in supporting development programs from both levels of government.

Speaking during the pass out parade for 34 Nyeri county inspectorate officers, Sang said the county had set a mark in the uptake of national programs compared to the rest of the country.

He particularly lauded the county for heeding advice from Governor Dr. Mutahi Kahiga in registering into the Social Health Authority, adding that the county now tops in the country in enrollment into the social health scheme.

“The people of Nyeri know the critical role played by leaders and the need to grant such leaders an opportunity to govern them.

We are proud of Dr. Kahiga at the level of the Council of Governors. Nyeri is doing very well in terms of SHA registration,” said Sang.

Nyeri ranks among counties with the highest number of people registered in SHA with at least 570,000 people having already listed under the scheme to date.

This represents at least 75 per cent of the 759,164 residents living in Nyeri as per the 2019 Census.

In addition, the Nandi Governor also pledged to continue partnering with Kahiga in benchmarking programs for the remaining tenure in office, noting that the two counties have much to share in common.

He also urged the residents to continue supporting Government programs that are cascaded to the grassroots and reminded them that such initiatives are meant for their overall good.

“Nyeri and Nandi counties are agricultural centers as I have mentioned. We have a lot to learn from Nyeri and Nyeri has a lot to learn from us all. All of us are contributing to building this nation. We must continue to partner to this end in order to uplift the welfare of our people,” he said.

On his part, Dr. Kahiga termed the occasion a great milestone in improving the capability of law enforcement officers in the county in terms of prompt service delivery.

The Nyeri governor also congratulated the newly inaugurated graduates for their endurance during the intensive 24-day training program saying this demonstrated the outstanding leadership of the instructional team from the City Inspectorate Training College under the command of Superintendent David Patrick Kang’ethe.

In addition, he paid glowing tribute to his Nandi counterpart for honouring the request to grace the occasion as the Chief guest, terming the acceptance as a great honour to both his office and the county at large.

“Beyond boosting operational efficiency and enforcement, these officers will serve as ambassadors of integrity and public trust. Their rigorous curriculum encompassed county laws, criminal procedure, evidence law, disaster management, fire safety, customer service, physical conditioning, and military drills.

The Chief Guest Stephen Sang has encouraged the officers to uphold the highest standards of integrity, patience, and discipline, especially during difficult situations, and urged them to foster safe, clean, and orderly public spaces,” stated Dr. Kahiga.

Out of the 33 officers, ten were graduates from the National Youth Service, while the rest were civilians.

Nyeri has been revamping its County Inspectorate Department as one way of inculcating  modern skills to help it  adapt to the changing global trends.

In June this year a total of 40 officers from the Inspectorate Department completed a comprehensive training course to equip them with professional skills critical in the dispensation of their duties to the public.

The officers, who included 34 constables and six inspectors underwent the 20-day Initial Enforce Course (IEC) at the Wambugu Agricultural Training Center.

The training was a joint venture between the County Government of Nyeri and the Nairobi Inspectorate Training School.

While presiding over the closure of the training Kahiga said there was a need to have such frequent courses to help equip County security officers with new skills needed in an ever-changing world.

Kahiga exuded confidence that the 40 officers would put into practice the skills they had acquired during the entire course for the welfare of the county and the country at large.

“This graduation marks an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to strengthen law enforcement, public order and service delivery across Nyeri County, and I would like to sincerely thank the Nairobi City Inspectorate Training School – the primary facility for training county enforcement officers to enforce county laws, regulations and licensing for collaborating with us,” he told the officers.

“This partnership embodies the true spirit of devolution, sharing best practices to build stronger institutions for our people. The Inspectorate Unit plays a critical role in maintaining discipline, enforcing county laws, safeguarding county property and ensuring order in the delivery of public services.”

Among areas the officers were taken through during the Course include enforcement drills and discipline, management and leadership, criminal law, county laws, public relations, disaster management and interpersonal communication.

The training program was structured under the Command and Leadership model geared towards inculcating a culture of professionalism and efficiency in service delivery to the public.

The officers were also tutored on practical skills in criminal law, county legislation, disaster management, and public relations.

“Over the past month, the graduating officers have undergone rigorous training designed to equip them with the leadership skills, professionalism, discipline and ethical values required to serve our residents effectively,” added Kahiga.

“As we celebrate their achievement, we underscore the importance of a well-trained, disciplined and people-centered Inspectorate Service. These Officers will not only help enhance operational efficiency and enforcement across the county, but will also serve as ambassadors of integrity, professionalism and public trust in their day-to-day duties,” he said.

With the new training of the new officers, the number of enforcement officers in Nyeri now totals to 148.

by Samuel Maina