A planned prayer meeting for dismissed Bomet workers has divided its leaders and forced a cancellation by the county commissioner.
The meeting that will take place at Bomet stadium on Tuesday is being organised by
Bomet Central MP Ronald Tonui.
It is for more than 1,000 workers, most of whom were employed by former Governor Isaac Rutto's administration without being vetted by the public service board.
They were sent home after their contracts expired.
Tonui says the meeting is purely for prayers as the workers said they had been psychologically tormented.
A group of former councilors in the county has defended the gathering and accused
Governor Joyce Laboso's administration of arbitrarily rendering the workers jobless.
Led by Samwel Barbaret, the more than 20 civic leaders said the workers were fired "merely because their contracts ended" and that this was "ill-timed and not right at all".
"This is very wrong. Are we going to keep employing people and sacking them every five years? The precedent that we want to set is off beam and that is why we will be seeking divine intervention so the county's leaders can change their minds."
Wilson Bii from Chepalungu said Laboso did not follow due process before sacking the group and warned this would discourage youths from seeking jobs at the county.
Mischief to take down Laboso?
But former MCAs have read mischief in the planned meeting and termed it political witch-hunt by Laboso's detractors.
Led by former Kembu ward representative Julius Korir, they told Tonui to concentrate on his mandate at the National Assembly and the oversight role to the current elected MCAs.
Korir claimed Tonui is seeking favours from those who were dismissed as the wants to be governor in 2022.
"We know he wants to dethrone Laboso in 2022 but we are telling him that he time for politics is over for now. It is too early to for him to start campaigns. Let him give Laboso time and stop creating unnecessary political tension in the county."
John Ngetich and Sammy Chelule, of Kipsonoi and Merigi respectively, voiced similar concerns and asked Tonui to prove the dismissed workers had been employed legally.
"The workers have been asked to reapply for their jobs, since their contracts expired, so they can be regularised by the public service board as this was not done before."
Chelule told off the former councilors saying most of them were on the payroll in the last administration and are "fighting for suvival".
"We know of a number of them who used to defend Rutto, branding themselves Kipsigis elders. They are up to no good are are only out to scuttle support for Laboso."
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Prayers banned
Later on Monday, Bomet county commissioner Erastus Ekidor termed the prayer meeting unlawful
Ekidor said the organisers notified police but that the gathering will not be allowed since religious leaders assigned to it have not specified their objectives so as to be given permits.
Speaking to the press at his office in Bomet, he reminded the organisers and the former workers that the matter is in court so anyone who gets in the way may be punished.
Ekidor warned Tonui against inciting residents to protests, noting he should follow proper channels.
"Police will
not hesitate to take action on the legislator should he go against the order and hold the rally. No one is above the law."
The commissioner further said the agenda of the meeting is "mischievous" and that it is only meant to cause chaos.
"We shall inform him of the ban...we are not going to allow any illegal meeting," he said. "The matter is pending in court....we see no reason why people should take it to the streets."
Ekidor further said the MP's intention "is known" and that businesses will be disrupted "in the name of prayers for those whose contracts have expired".
"It is mischievous because Tonui can call Governor Laboso and discuss the matter without using youths to cause chaos."
Meanwhile, Bomet Jubilee Party chairman Bernard Mutai has announced celebrations in the town tomorrow following the Supreme Court's decision to uphold President Uhuru Kenyatta's victory in the repeat October 26 election.
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