Questions as Barorot resigns from deputy governor position

Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor John Barorot with Governor Jonathan Bii after he announced his resignation in Eldoret yesterday. Looking on are chief executive committee members and other senior staff of the county. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

All indications had pointed to a frosty relationship between Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and his deputy John Barorot.

It was until Monday that Barorot announced that he had resigned as deputy governor.

Barorot’s resignation came barely four days after Eldoret officially became the country’s fifth city.

He becomes the second deputy governor to resign after former Nairobi DG Polycarp Igathe who resigned in January 2018, just six months after the 2017 elections.

Speculations have been rife after camaraderie that characterized the relationship of the duo (Bii and Barorot) before the elections and a few months after their ticket won the governorship in August faded.

On Monday, Eng Barorot’s resignation did not come as a surprise for many Uasin Gishu residents because the duo have not been seen together for months

Governor Bii announced Barorot’s resignation saying the engineer had landed a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) job at an international ICT firm.

On Thursday last week, when President William Ruto presided over the elevation of Eldoret municipality to city status, the deputy governor was a no show, raising more questions than answers.

During the morning hours of Monday, Barorot had announced his exit at a meeting held at a hotel in Eldoret where senior county officials and the governor were present after which journalists were invited for an address at the county headquarters.

At the midday press briefing to announce the exit of Eng Barorot, Governor Bii and his deputy said the resignation was a culmination of month-long negotiations.

For the last two weeks, sources at the county had intimated that the relationship between the governor and his deputy had soured, claims that were confirmed after Barorot missed an occasion as momentous as elevation of Eldoret to a city.

But Governor Bii dismissed claims of a sour relationship.

The governor pulled a handshake during the announcement and said it symbolised a good working relationship.

“Today we announce the exit of our deputy governor Engineer John Kibet Barorot who has secured a position as CEO of an international organization in the ICT sector. His last day of work will be on August 31, 2024,” Bii said during the address to announce the exit.

“While it was our wish to continue working and continue tapping into Barorot’s wealth of knowledge and experience, his decision to pursue interests outside the political environment and public service deserves all the respect and appreciation,”  the governor said.

Bii said that his outgoing deputy was instrumental since their campaign period. 

“Together, we hosted the devolution conference, attained city status and worked together towards the development of this county. 

He said that the position will be declared vacant from September 1, adding that he will nominate someone to hold the position after approval by the county assembly.

Barorot, who alongside other top county officials was present at the press conference, also said there was no fallout between him and Bii.

The former Deputy Governor said in the last two years, he enjoyed a cordial working relationship with his boss.

He said that they had discussed his exit over the last one month.

“Let us not create a bushfire, because we had discussed my exit with the governor over the past month,” Barorot added.

Barorot, a soft-spoken electrical, electronics and communications engineer, did not explain why he missed last week’s elevation of Eldoret to a The City of Eldoret.

He said that he had weighed his options and settled on transiting to the private sector where his efforts in Artificial Intelligence and Financial Transformation will be impactful to all because of the ongoing worldwide digital transformation.

“I am leaving because of an opportunity that has come up. I leave with my head held high because I have weighed between the current responsibility that I have and the ongoing global digital transformation. While here, I have worked well with Governor Bii,” Barorot said, adding that he had also weighed the pros and cons of taking on his new role.  

“My leaving is time bound. The people that I will miss most are the employees of the county because there are professional employees who largely understand their roles and what needs to be done. I really treasure the period that we have worked together," Barorot added.