After only eight months, Fred Lengees, the speaker of the Samburu County Legislature, left his position to work for the United Nations (UN) in South Sudan.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lengees said he had tendered his resignation to take up a new role with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.
He revealed that he will be working in the UN Department as a senior field security officer based in Juba.
He acknowledged that leaving his position as the Samburu County Assembly Speaker only eight months after being elected was not an easy choice.
“It was not easy to just leave that position. I consulted with the leadership, and we felt it was good for me to take up the new role,” he said.
Following Mr. Lengees’ departure, a new speaker will now be elected to take Mr. Lengees’ place. The procedure for selecting a new Speaker will start right away in accordance with Samburu County Assembly’s Standing Rules, and we will adhere to the law to guarantee a smooth transition.
After a chaotic vote in which Azimio-affiliated MCAs abstained last year, Mr. Lengees was appointed Speaker. In the second round of voting, he defeated his then-rival Solomon Lempere by garnering 13 out of 13 votes. Since devolution, he has served Samburu County as the Assembly’s third Speaker.
Lengees was installed as Speaker of Samburu County after a chaotic vote that saw the Azimio-affiliated MCAs boycott the process last year. He won 13 out of 13 votes in the second round of voting, defeating his then-rival Solomon Lempere. He became the third Speaker of the Assembly since devolution.
The former speaker of Samburu County said he was proud of what he had achieved during his short tenure, as “the position of speaker has brought me closer to my people”.
“I have worked for eight months, and I have really enjoyed my job. It is a job that has brought me closer to people. I have loved serving the people”.
Governor Jonathan Lelelit reckoned that the kind of service the outgoing Speaker will provide at the United Nations is more important than even being the Speaker of Samburu County. He revealed that Lengees was the most qualified candidate to take up the position in South Sudan.
“Because he is the most qualified applicant on the entire African continent, we believed it was a positive thing that he accepted the new position. We could not pass up this chance, “Governor Lelelit stated.
The Speaker, according to Senator Steve Lelegwe, performed admirably during his brief term.
We want to sincerely thank him for the assistance he provided to the Samburu people during his brief tenure and wish him well in his future endeavours. He claimed that the leaders wholeheartedly concur with his choice and his new position in Juba.
“We firmly support his choice and are grateful for all the effort and commitment he put forth while serving. We acknowledge that such opportunities are rare, and we wish him luck in his new position,” “Senator Lelegwe remarked.