Baringo assembly clerk under fire for illegal recruitment of staff

Members of Baringo Members of County Assembly reacts at the assembly on May 2,2019 during a session where they passed a motion to impeach Assembly Clerk Joseph Koech. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

Baringo MCAs on Thursday night impeached County Assembly Clerk Joseph Koech.

In a heated debate followed by a vote that went up to midnight, 25 MCAs supported the impeachment motion moved by Kolowa Ward Rep Solomon Makal. Eighteen members voted against it.

In the motion, Makal accused Koech of abuse of office and failing to perform duties effectively as required by the law.

Koech was accused of irregularly hiring staff, illegal promotion of officers and infringing employees’ rights by issuing erroneous letters of appointment, hence violating the Code of Conduct and Public Officers Ethics Act.

He allegedly hired a driver who only reported to work twice within a period of seven months.

The MCAs also accused Koech of failing to respond to numerous internal audit queries, thus exposing the County Assembly to public ridicule. 

The clerk allegedly hired the driver without conducting an open, transparent and competitive recruitment process. In January, Koech was sent on compulsory leave pending investigations on a number of allegations on gross misconduct.

“Pursuant to his neglect to free himself as expected, his actions left the board with no option but to suspend him and invoke Section 22 and 23 of the County Assembly Service Act, 2017 on removal of a clerk,” reads the motion.

The motion says Koech was offered a chance to respond to the accusation, but he ignored the summons.

But Tenges MCA Silas Tochim, who opposed the motion, said some members of the committee spearheading the impeachment process were not legally appointed.

Tochim also said the clerk was not given a chance to defend himself.

Kabarnet MCA Ernest Kibet said the clerk did not deserve to remain in office since he would “defraud the assembly to its knees”.

“The committee was keen to listen to the clerk during the compulsory leave period but he chose to be arrogant and never appeared to defend himself. Instead, he presented hospital receipts claiming he was sick without an official letter from a doctor,” said Kibet.   

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