Baringo Public Service Board in conflict with the executive over staff recruitment

Baringo County's Executive and the County Public Service Board are embroiled in a contentious conflict over the recruitment of county staff, with both parties accusing each other of corruption and withholding information regarding staffing issues.

The dispute escalated during a session at the County Assembly, where board members and senior officials from the executive were summoned to address allegations of irregularities in hiring, promotions, and the conversion of contracted staff to permanent positions.

Ward representatives called for a meeting with board members led by Chairman Joseph Korir, County Secretary Jacob Chepkwony, County Executive Committee Member for Devolution Peninah Bartuin, and Chief Officer for Devolution Charles Kipkulei.

The session on Tuesday revealed a significant rift between the board and the executive, with both sides providing contradictory statements full of inconsistencies, each blaming the other.

Sharon Keter, a nominated Member of the County Assembly (MCA) from KANU, raised concerns about irregularities in the recruitment process, accusing both the board and the County Secretary of bias and corruption.

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Board CEO Samson Kibii expressed his frustration with the County Secretary for a lack of cooperation, claiming that his attempts to obtain a list of casual employees in the county had been unsuccessful.

He stated that he had written a letter requesting the names of casuals, but Chepkwony denied these allegations, claiming he was not serving as County Secretary at the time.

"Since March 2021, we have reached out to the County Secretary through letters but have been unsuccessful, only for them to submit an incomplete list in March 2025," Kibii remarked.

Kibii alleged that Chepkwony submitted a list of 243 casuals from various departments, which contained insufficient information, making it difficult to verify.

The assembly halted the employment of 22 revenue clerks and 40 enforcement officers who were recruited on March 17 in light of these allegations.

Following the recruitment, Keter noted that marginalized groups and long-serving casual employees were discriminated against.

The MCAs criticized the board for being ineffective and incompetent in fulfilling its mandate, calling for an investigation and accountability.

The growing division among the officials became evident when the  MCAs expressed concern that four staff members who had worked under the previous governor, Stanley Kiptis, were dismissed on Monday after their contracts expired eight months ago.

In contrast, three officers who had worked under the former deputy governor, now County Secretary, were confirmed as permanent and pensionable.

Chepkwony alleged that the issues of communication stemmed from the Chief of Staff's office.

The board distanced itself from the employment of the 243 casuals, claiming it was unaware of who had hired them.

Chepkwony admitted that upon joining the department, he noticed discrepancies in hiring, stating that the problem was larger than he had anticipated.

He accused the board of not providing the necessary list of casuals for payment and cited insufficient budget allocations for personnel emoluments under contractual obligations.

He explained that the seven-month delay in salary for the casual workers was due to lengthy processing times for monthly vouchers, which require departmental preparation and approval.

Bartuin acknowledged the irregularities in the hiring process.

A seven-member committee has been formed to investigate the alleged irregularities