By Anchor Writers
Machakos County’s ongoing low cadre staff training programme, billed as a transformative initiative to strengthen public service delivery, is increasingly drawing scrutiny over its cost, structure, and underlying intent.
The programme, now in its second cohort, has seen hundreds of county employees transported to Mombasa for what officials describe as a week-long capacity-building exercise. The latest group of approximately 400 staff travelled by Standard Gauge Railway last Sunday and is enroute home this Saturday, with each participant receiving Daily Subsistence Allowances averaging KSh 4,500 — translating to roughly Kes.27,000 per individual for the duration of the trip.
County officials maintain that the initiative is aimed at addressing gaps in governance, personal financial management, and service delivery. Governor Wavinya Ndeti, who amid dance and ‘twotam’ sloganeering- joined participants on the final day, said the training would enhance efficiency, accountability, and professionalism within the county workforce.
Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi, who has returned to the governor’s entourage- parroted the same sentiment, urging staff to apply the ‘knowledge’gained in serving residents with diligence and integrity.
County Secretary Dr. Muya Ndambuki who is the main driver of content at the outings indicates that the programme has already ‘trained’about 800 staff under the current initiative, with more than 4,000 employees reportedly benefiting since 2024.
However, behind the official narrative, a different picture is emerging.Sources within the county administration suggest that the programme is less about structured training and more about political mobilization and consolidation. The gatherings, held under large tents at coastal hotels, are described by insiders as largely consisting of loyalist speeches and mobilization sessions rather than formal learning.“How do you train people who do not even have writing materials or tables before them to place anything?” posed one senior officer who spoke to The Anchor strictly under condition of anonymity. “There are no structured sessions, no clear curriculum. What is happening is not training in the conventional sense. The Governor is mobilising and using publi resources to campaign ”.
The financial implications are also significant. With transport, daily subsistence allowances, accommodation, and additional expenses for senior officials and facilitators, including the governor, the DG and their handlers, internal estimates suggest the programme could cost the county upwards of Kes.100 million by the time all cohorts are completed.
Some senior staff are also attending without any assignment, with eyes set solely on the hefty allowances that they deploy to augment their salaries that the county usually delays each month for the last one year now.
For many lower-cadre employees, however, the experience is unprecedented. Some participants admitted it was their first time travelling for an extended stay, with the allowances providing a rare opportunity to support their families.“It is not common for these workers to get such exposure,” said an official familiar with the arrangements. “For some, this is the first time they are spending several days away from home on what feels like a fully paid trip.”This has fueled speculation that the initiative may be targeting grassroots loyalty within the county workforce at a time when tensions with senior staff are reportedly growing.
Observers note that while investment in staff development is critical for devolved units, the effectiveness of such programmes depends on transparency, measurable outcomes, and clear training frameworks — elements that critics argue are currently lacking.
As the programme continues, questions remain over whether Machakos County is witnessing a genuine effort at institutional strengthening or an expensive exercise with more political than professional returns. Only time will tell.
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