A dispute has escalated over the city manager position in Eldoret, as the current holder, Tito Koiyet, found himself locked out of his office. This incident occurred two months after he was attacked and beaten by assailants in the very same office.
Koiyet, who had been on leave, returned to find his office at the Eldoret West social hall locked with the locks changed. The row over his position has been ongoing since Eldoret was elevated to city status last year.
Protesting outside the locked office, Koiyet announced his intention to initiate fresh contempt proceedings against top Uasin Gishu county officials for defying a court order.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Eldoret had previously ordered a status quo pending the hearing of a case filed by Koiyet, who claims illegal attempts to remove him from office.
"What has happened is further contempt of the court, which ordered that I remain in office pending the hearing of my case," Koiyet said.
His arrival caught employees by surprise. Koiyet attempted to open the door with his old keys but was unsuccessful.
"The office is always open, even when I'm away, and I wonder why it has been locked now," he said.
Conversely, the office of Julius Kitur, chairman of the Municipal board, located directly opposite Koiyet's, remained open. "You can see the office of the chairman is open although he is not in. That shows the locking of my office is intentional," Koiyet added.
Operations at the office have been paralysed for more than two months, ever since the attack by goons that prevented Koiyet from entering.
The embattled city manager reported the incident to the police, but no arrests have been made. Uasin Gishu police commander Benjamin Mwanthi previously said that they were still searching for the attackers, who also injured a female officer during the assault.
When contacted for comment, county secretary Phillip Melly said he was in a meeting and would return the call later. Koiyet, however, claims that the county secretary is responsible for the office's operations and insists he should explain why it was locked.
Koiyet's office and the Municipal board are currently responsible for the City's daily operations until a new board is established.
Kitur, for his part, claimed no knowledge of Koiyet's office closure and denied any involvement.
"What I know is that our tenure is coming to an end, and unless otherwise, we have to leave because those are not personal offices. If there will be no reappointment, then we have to move on with other things in life," he said.
He added that the Uasin Gishu governor, as the appointing authority, was best placed to explain how the office should operate.
The law stipulates that the city board should have nine members, while the current Municipal board has seven. The new board will be in charge of city planning and other operations, with its officials reporting to the county government, which is mandated to fund its activities.
