Uasin Gishu County Assembly Rejects Governor’s Nominees for Eldoret City Board
A new conflict has arisen between the executive branch and the Uasin Gishu county assembly following the rejection of all ten nominees proposed by Governor Jonathan Bii to serve on the Eldoret City Board. This decision was made by the county assembly’s Housing and Urban Development Committee, which had been responsible for reviewing the candidates.
The committee, led by MCA Amos Kitur, concluded that none of the individuals nominated by the governor were suitable for appointment to the Eldoret City Board. The report from the committee stated that the nominations did not meet the necessary standards, citing concerns related to legality, procedure, citizenship, and public petitions.
Among those rejected are Julius Kitur, Paul Chemutut, John Ayieko, Sammy Bor, Alice Kostany, David Maize, Ruth Limo, Dipen Arun, Colette Akinyi, and Kwamboka Akama. The committee emphasized that their decision was based on a thorough review of the nominees and the procedures followed in their selection.
The report highlighted legal and procedural violations, pointing out that the appointing authority had violated Section 13 (3) and (4) of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2022. According to the law, the governor must ensure that the nominating organizations present formal minutes, resolutions, and clear procedures used in selecting their candidates. However, the committee found that these organizations failed to provide sufficient evidence of the processes they used during the selection.
The report will now be presented to the full assembly for debate and adoption. Governor Bii submitted the list of nominees to the assembly on September 26, following recommendations from the County Recruitment Board. The names were then forwarded for vetting and approval as required by law.
Despite the assembly’s decision to block the appointments, a legal challenge over the same issue was already underway in court. A resident of Eldoret, Moses Kibor, filed a petition questioning the legality of the appointments, arguing that they were made without adhering to due process. Through lawyer Daniel Tarigo, Kibor sued the Governor of Uasin Gishu, the County Public Service Board, and the County Assembly, claiming that the process violated both the constitution and the Urban Areas and Cities Act.
“My client is challenging the entire process through which the appointments were made and seeks to have them declared null and void,” Tarigo stated.
The outcome of both the assembly’s deliberations and the court case will determine the future of the Eldoret City Board, which has been at the center of controversy since its formation. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the legal and political challenges will shape the governance of the city board in the coming days.