Director of Environment, Water and Natural Resources at Vihiga County Government

Duties and Responsibilities

An officer at this level may be based at the Headquarters as the Head of Technical Division and will assist the Chief Officer in charge of Environment, Energy, Natural Resources and Climate Change in the day to day administration and management of the department. Reporting to the Chief Officer, DirectorEnvironment, Energy and Natural Resources will be responsible for the following:

• In charge of overall management and conservation of Environment, including Waste Management (promoting 3Rs), Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Natural Resources Management and
• Conservation, Energy Services, Rehabilitation & Restoration of Degraded and Riparian Ecosystems;
• Spearhead preparation of departmental strategic plans, work plans, performance contacts, budgets, procurement plans and periodic progress fiom, with other departments and County Chief Officer in Charge of Environment, Energy, Natural Resources and Climate Change;
• Spearhead research, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on departmental programs, projects and activities in consultation with other departments and County Chief Officer in Charge of Environment, Energy, Natural Resources and Climate Change;
• Inventory and mapping of natural resources, environmentally significant sites, degraded sites, disposal sites, waste water within the county;
• Spearhead in the conceptualization, development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of projects, programs, activities, and strategic initiatives in the directorate;
• Spearhead preparation of County State of Environment Reports and County Environmental Action Plan and its implementation in line with the provisions of EMCA CAP 38;
• Spearhead the mobilizing the public to participate in environmental conservation and management campaigns, clean ups, efficient energy utilization, promoting energy conservation awareness, mainstreaming renewable energy within the county;
• Spearhead Resource mobilization including development of bankable proposals in various thematic areas including waste management,
• Environmental Conservation and Energy Services ;
• Spearhead inventory and mapping of natural resources, environmentally significant sites (such as wetlands and disposal sites), degraded sites within the county and pollution sources (water, air & sound) within the county;
• Spearhead Policy formulation, interpretation and implementation; negotiation, legislation and domestication of the relevant Multilateral
• Environment Agreements (MEAs) to the county and other relevant agreements in the field of environment;
• Supervising, guiding and developing staff working under him or her.

Requirements for Appointment

For appointment to this grade, an officer must have:-

• Be a Kenyan citizen;
• Served in the position of a Principal Environmental officer or in a comparable position (public or private sector) for a minimum period of three (3) years;
• Bachelor’s degree in any of the following disciplines; Environmental Sciences, Environmental Planning and Management, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resource Sciences/Management, Climate
• Change, Waste Management, Forestry, Geology, Hydrology, Geo-
• Information science, Chemistry, Biology; or any other relevant/Equivalent qualification from a recognized institution;
• Master’s degree in any of the following disciplines; Environmental Sciences, Environmental Planning and Management, Environmental Engineering, or any other relevant field from a recognized Institution;
• Post Graduate qualification in Environmental Management field, - EIA/Audits or its equivalent;
• Knowledge and general understanding of international/regional /national/sub-national policies and
• regulations on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources;
• Knowledge general knowledge on waste management, environmental compliance and enforcement, environmental planning and research, environmental conservation and energy.
• Management course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution;
• Knowledge in computer applications from a recognized institution;
• Demonstrated managerial, administrative and professional results; and
• Satisfy the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 on leadership and integrity.