Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor John Kibet Barorot has formally resigned amid claims of frosty relationship with his boss, Governor Jonathan Bii, after two years in office.
Mr Barorot has been missing in action for the past few months — including last Thursday’s elevation of Eldoret town to a city.
He tendered his resignation on Monday after holding crisis meeting in an Eldoret hotel with Mr Bii and other senior county officials.
The resignation ends several months of speculation about the exit of the engineer who has been in politics for only two years after serving many years in the private sector, mainly in telecommunications.
Uasin Gishu County Deputy Governor John Barorot (centre), Usain Gishu County Governor Jonathan Bii (right) and other officials leave EKA Hotel in Eldoret on the day Mr Barorot resigned, August 19, 2024.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Although Mr Barorot maintained that he was driven by passion to return to his area of specialisation, telecoms, there has been widespread speculations of frustrations by influential personalities within Mr Bii’s inner circle.
Mr Bii accepted the resignation of his deputy when he addressed county staff outside his office and promised to have a replacement soon even as they plan for a farewell ceremony for Mr Barorot on August 31, 2024.
“I wish to accept the resignation of my deputy who exists office to become a Chief Executive Officer of an international digital firm. I have enjoyed cordial relationship with him since I picked him as my running mate, joining the public office from the private sector,” said Mr Bii.
Mr Barorot has been missing in action, including his office or other county functions, for the months leading to resignation on Monday.
He was tasked with the responsibility of handling the scandal-hit Finland overseas programme where students lost hundreds of millions of shillings.
The deputy governor at one time defended the county over the controversial programme that was initiated during Jackson Mandago’s regime.
Mr Mandago, now senator, and several officials of the overseas education program are facing charges over the scam.
Mr Bii on Monday heaped praises on Mr Barorot, noting that he instituted a lot of reforms in the county especially on digitization of revenue department resulting in increase in own revenue source to Sh1.4 million last financial year.
“We have a very organised leadership and Engineer Barorot played vital role when we held devolution conference a year ago and recent elevation of Eldoret town to city status,” said Mr Bii.
“I will soon pick another nominee as my deputy amongst these people to enable us to progress ahead,” said Governor Bii while urging the residents to focus on positivity instead of negative issues by his administration.
Mr Barorot admitted that his transformation from the private to public sector had its own challenges noting that he gave it his best while serving as the deputy governor.
“There is still a lot to be done now that the town has been elevated to a city. We need to look at bigger issues in our society,” he said while admitting that he has undergone a lot of “painful moments” while transiting from private to public sector.
While dwelling on Information Communication and Technology (ICT) issues, Mr Barorot challenged the county administration to embrace digital technology to enhance service delivery.
“I have learned a lot during the two years in public office. The fact that I have a different opinion does not mean that we have differences. Disagreeing is not personal and that is how we can build our city,” said Eng. Barorot.
But it is back to drawing board to Mr Bii as he picks his deputy in the cosmopolitan Uasin Gishu county where members of the Keiyo community play swing vote in almost every general election.
The county is dominated by two or more communities who unleash their tyranny of numbers at the ballot box to sweep elective positions regarded as strategic, hence need for negotiated democracy to aid ‘equal’ power sharing.
During the Mandago regime, Daniel Chemno (Keiyo) was his deputy for the two terms he served in office. Mr Bii too picked a Keiyo (Mr Barorot) as his running mate in the 2022 polls.
They prevailing political landscape will see Mr Bii do a lot of soul searching before settling on the next deputy governor.
