By Gidion Ngeno
Huruma Ward Member of County Assembly, Kimani Wanjohi, has threatened to take legal action against the county government of Uasin Gishu.
Wanjohi, who doubles up as the Uasin Gishu County Assembly minority whip, accused the Governor Jonathan Bii-led administration of sidelining the minority communities in the county.
In a media briefing in Eldoret, the MCA claimed the county favours dominant communities whenever there are job opportunities available, a practice he argues goes against the principles of good governance.
“There has been a lack of inclusivity of minorities in recruitment for various jobs both and the executive level and other jobs. The law requires that not more than two-thirds of job opportunities should go to one ethnical group,” Wanjohi said.
According to the Huruma MCA, currently, over 86 per cent of workers in the county government of Uasin Gishu come from a single ethnic group.
Unfair bursary distribution in Turbo constituency
He further claimed that the distribution of development projects as well as the allocation of bursaries under the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) in the Turbo constituency, is also done along ethnic lines.
He termed the move illegal.
“Out of the Ksh 59 million bursary dispersed in Turbo constituency, my ward got only Ksh 3 million, which is not fair,” Wanjohi said.
The ward representative is now demanding that the county fully adhere to the law that provides for fairness in the distribution of job opportunities to all locals by ensuring ethnic balance.
Out of the 10 Uasin Gishu County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), only one comes from the minority ethnic group.
The same case is replicated in the list of Chief Officers, with only two from the minority ethnic groups.
Kalenjin is the dominant community in Uasin Gishu, but the county is highly cosmopolitan, with a representation from almost all tribes in the country, most of whom live in urban areas.
