The City Manager of Eldoret, Tito Koiyet, has been unable to access his office for two months following an incident in which he was reportedly assaulted at the premises.
Koiyet, who had been on leave, returned recently only to find that the locks to his office had been changed.
His attempt to gain entry using his previous keys was unsuccessful.
A dispute over Koiyet’s position has persisted since Eldoret was elevated to city status last year.
Upon finding himself locked out, Koiyet staged a protest outside the office and indicated that he would seek fresh contempt of court proceedings against some senior officials.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Eldoret had earlier issued orders maintaining the status quo regarding occupancy of the office, pending the hearing of a petition filed by Koiyet.
In the petition, he challenges what he describes as efforts to remove him from office contrary to the law.
“What has happened today is further contempt of court, which ordered that I remain in office pending hearing of my case,” Koiyet said.
His arrival at the office, located at the Eldoret West Social Hall, appeared to catch staff off guard.
He tried multiple times to access the office using his previous keys, but the door remained locked.
“The office is always open even when I am away. I wonder why it has now been locked to prevent me from accessing it and continuing with my work,” Koiyet said.
Contacted for comment, County Secretary Phillip Melly said he was in a meeting and would respond later.
“I am currently in a meeting but will be able to call back later,” he said.
Operations at the city manager’s office have reportedly been disrupted for over two months.
The disruption followed an incident in which unidentified individuals forcibly entered the premises.
Police reports indicate that a female officer was also injured during the incident.
Koiyet recorded a statement with police regarding the matter.
Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi stated that investigations are ongoing and efforts to trace the suspects continue.
