Africa-Press – Kenya. Uasin Gishu County Governor Jonathan Bii officially gazetted the appointment of his new deputy governor following a court ruling in Constitutional Petition number E24 of 2024: County Government of Uasin Gishu and 2 others versus the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“In exercise of the powers conferred under Chapter Eleven of the Constitution of Kenya, section 32D of the County Governments Act, 2012, and the Judgement of the High Court of Kenya at Eldoret in Constitutional Petition No. E24 of 2024: County Government of Uasin Gishu and 2 Others Versus Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission I, Jonathan Bii Chelilim, the Governor of Uasin Gishu County appoints— Evans Kipruto Kapkea as the Deputy Governor of Uasin Gishu County,” the Gazette notice dated October 22 reads.
The IEBC was ordered by Eldoret High Court Presiding Judge, Justice Reuben Nyakundi, to gazette Evans Kapkea as the newly appointed Deputy Governor of Uasin Gishu County two weeks ago.
“An order of mandamus be and is hereby issued directed to the respondent administrative unit headed by the CEO to initiate the instruments to the government printer for the name of Evans Kapkea to be formally entered in the official Kenya gazette notice as the newly nominated Deputy Governor Uasin Gishu County, effective from the date of vetting by the county assembly,” directed the judge.
Following this new appointment, the County Secretary and Chairperson of the Assumption of Office of the Deputy Governor Committee, Edwin Bett, revealed that the swearing-in ceremony of the new deputy governor would be held on November 14 this year at the county headquarters. The Announcement was made in a separate Gazette Notice.
“The swearing-in ceremony of Evans Kipruto Kapkea as the Deputy Governor of Uasin Gishu County shall be held on Thursday, 14th November 2024 at Uasin Gishu County Headquarters starting at 10.15 a.m,” part of a notice also dated October 22 read.
The County Government had taken to the courts to compel the IEBC secretariat or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to gazette Kapkea as the duly appointed deputy governor following his nomination by Governor Bii and the subsequent approval by the county assembly.
In his ruling on October 14, Justice Nyakundi acknowledged that the court had jurisdiction to adjudicate on the petition, adding that the petitioners had established that the rights of the residents of Uasin Gishu were violated.
He ultimately asked Governor Bii to begin the gazettement process to pave the way for the swearing-in of Kapkea and denied IEBC’s efforts to seek the courts’ leave to stay the execution of the declaration.
The position of the deputy governor arose when the former Uasin Gishu Second-in-command John Barorot quit on August 19 to take up a position as CEO of a global ICT company.
He announced during a meeting at a top Eldoret hotel in the presence of his boss who stated, “Today we announce the exit of our deputy governor Engineer John Barorot who has secured a position as a Chief Executive Officer of an international organization in the ICT sector. His last day of work will be August 31, 2024.”
They both announced that they would maintain their cordial working relationship and there was no bad blood between them. The company that Barorot now heads has not been confirmed yet.
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