Eldoret manager finds office locked months after being ejected by goons

Eldoret Municipality boss Tito Koiyet. [Photo/Courtesy]

There was drama at the Eldoret Municipality after the entity's manager, who was attacked and ejected from his office by goons in February, made a return, only to find his office locked and the keys changed.

Yesterday, a day after he was locked out of the office, Tito Koiyet claimed in an interview with the Standard that some powerful individuals in the Uasin Gishu county government were forcing him out of office to deny him access to money earmarked for city development, for unclear reasons.

“It is all about money. There is money from the Kenya Urban Support Programme (funded by the World Bank), and I am a signatory. Someone who doesn’t like the way I manage funds wants me out of the way,” he claimed.

The embattled Municipality Manager was armed with an order from the Employment and Labour Relations Court maintaining the status quo on the occupancy of his office pending the hearing and determination on September 18 of a petition he filed to have his term extended by five years.

Koiyet said he has been raising questions over the interference of the municipality management by individuals that he could not disclose their identities.

“As we speak, I am writing a letter to the Uasin Gishu County Secretary after I found a document showing that I had sought the release of some money without my knowledge. Shockingly, someone had forged my signature,” Koiyet said.

He called for an urgent probe into activities in his office from the time he was forced out by goons.

Koiyet said his contract had ended in May but had been extended by five years after what he termed as his stellar record in transforming Eldoret into a city.

According to Koiyet, county officers were being used to frustrate and compel him to resign.

“Attempts to remove me from office started two months after Eldoret was elevated to a city. Two months after the attainment of city status, the county advertised my job while I was still in office,” he said, accusing county officials of contempt of court.

A move by Governor Jonathan Bii's administration to appoint a director of administration, Samuel Kiptoo as acting Municipality Manager after Koiyet was removed in February has been raising questions.

On May 17, Langas Ward Representative Francis Muya told a Senate County Public Accounts Committee led by Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang that the assembly recognised Koiyet as the municipality manager.

This was after Kiptoo was introduced as a Municipality Manager during the probe on stalled projects in Uasin Gishu, a session held at the County Assembly chambers in Eldoret.

“The Municipality Manager of Eldoret is Tito Koiyet. I have never been informed at the County Assembly that there is a new Municipality Manager,” Muya told the committee.

The County has since February disowned frustrating the Municipality Manager.

The County Secretary, Philip Melly, told the Senate Committee sitting in Eldoret mid-last month that Koiyet was on leave.

“While on leave, which he applied for, we could not leave the position vacant, and that is why we appointed our director of administration to serve in an acting capacity,” Melly told Senators.

When contacted, Melly said he was busy with official meetings and unable to respond to queries about Koiyet’s return to the office.

“I am in meetings. I can’t talk now," he said.

But Koiyet yesterday said he was not on leave as claimed by the County official and that he has been battling to retain his job after the attack by goons in February.

In February, Kesses residents who were protesting Koiyet’s removal asked the county administration to stop humiliating him.

“We wonder why Koiyet was attacked in the presence of employees and a municipality board member who did nothing to save him,” said Noah Chepsiror.

Leadership wrangles rocked the municipality since late last year, just weeks after Eldoret was elevated to Kenya’s fifth city in August.

The tussles imploded on February 18 after a gang stormed his office and pushed him out in the presence of subordinate staff, but worsened on Monday after he found the locks at his office, located next to Eldoret West Social Hall, had been changed.