NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 22 — Asha Abdi, Nominee for Chief Officer Finance Nairobi County, has said she has what it takes to steer the county’s most crucial Finance Office.
She cited her experience in the sector for 10 years in two different counties.
Abdi who appeared before the Nairobi County Assembly’s Select Committee on Finance and Budget on Thursday served as Chief Executive Committee (CEC) Member Finance for Isiolo County and Chief Officer Finance Mombasa County.
She exuded confidence that she will deliver on her mandate as well as assist the county in realizing its revenue projections.
Abdi boasts of being a champion of Devolution as she was among CEC pioneers when counties came into inception in 2013.
“I’m a believer of devolution and since I started serving in county governments, I have been a problem solver.I am not here by chance but have served in Mombasa and Isiolo which is a rural county and I believe the challenges I have face there and what I have managed to solve. ,” Abdi said.
“I believe that my experience has prepared me to handle the office in Nairobi,” she told members of the committee.
Among major achievements she listed while working as Finance Chief Officer in Mombasa include raising revenue collection, cutting down the wage bill by introducing internship programs for graduates who offer cheap labor and automation of revenue system that eased way of doing business.
She also spearheaded the establishment of Special Economic Zones which she contended placed Mombasa on the global map, as well as enhancing the county’s revenue.
The Chief Officer Finance nominee also revealed that she is worth Sh39 million, a blend of both cash and assets.
The 35-year-old Finance Chief Officer nominee listed her glowing academic achievements ranging from a Degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi, Master of Arts in Project Planning and Management also from the University of Nairobi, a leadership program from the Harvard Business school in USA and currently pursuing a PhD in Project Financing at the Nairobi University.
Abdi revealed she topped KCSE in Isiolo County during her time, where she attained a grade of A minus, which enabled her to secure a scholarship from the Equity Bank.
She said the Equity scholarship was her breakthrough, as she began her journey at the Bank as a Management trainee at a tender age of 18 years.
“I always wanted to serve in the public sector and when devolution came I saw an opportunity and applied and by God’s grace I landed at Isiolo County as CEC Finance,” she noted.
The Committee’s Chairperson Wilfred Odalo dismissed three petitions which were presented before the committee seeking to have Abdi barred from holding the position on grounds that they were not certified.
