Nakuru County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo has denied appointing his sister Sarah Kitiyo as a chief following protest from locals who demands her immediate removal.
While speaking to K24 Digital, Kitiyo said the issue is local and has nothing to do with him.
"It is true she is my sister but I was not involved in any way with her appointment," Kitiyo said.
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Demonstration
Hundreds of residents in the Mubere location, Endebess constituency in Trans Nzoia county on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, staged a peaceful demonstration protesting against the appointment of Sarah Kitiyo as their area chief.
Speaking to the press at the Cheptargai trading centre, the angry residents said the appointment of their new chief was influenced by her brother Nakuru County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo.
William Tarus, an elder in the community said Kitiyo’s appointment was not merited and called for the revocation of her appointment letter and the recruitment process started again.
“When the interviews were done, our son Wycliffe Kipkorir emerged as the best candidate; we were shocked when his appointment letter was changed and given to Sarah Kitiyo, the sister of Gilbert Kitiyo; that is nepotism and we can’t accept,” Tarus said.
Stephen Busienei, the secretary of Nandi Gaa Kaburwo council of elders, condemned the skewed appointment saying it infringes on their rights to fair representation.
“It is very unfair that somebody who emerged the best was denied his right because of nepotism. We are asking the national government through the Ministry of Interior to intervene so that our rights are not infringed by this chief” Busienei appealed.
Carrying twigs, the locals, especially the elderly, said they do not have confidence in the new administrator.
Elisabeth Kosgei said Kipkorir should be given his appointment letter so that he can serve the over three thousand people in the area.
“Some of us are very old, we do not understand any other language apart from our mother tongue; the only person who can serve us best is none other than Wycliffe Kipkorir” Kosgei lamented.
The residents threatened to paralyze the operations of the new administrator if their concerns are not addressed and their demands not met.
“It is our constitutional right to have fair representation. We do not have an iota of confidence in our area chief and if the government does not act, she will have a rough time in this location” a resident said.
