Uasin Gishu residents claim deputy governor quit out of frustration

Former Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor John Barorot. [File, Standard]

A day after John Barorot resigned as Uasin Gishu deputy governor, a section of the residents has claimed that he quit because of frustration. 

Sources yesterday told The Standard that the former deputy governor was allegedly frustrated by individuals in the executive.

Barorot had announced his resignation as deputy to Governor Jonathan Bii on Monday, saying that he had landed a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) job at an international firm. 

Residents claimed that the outgoing deputy governor lacked a conducive environment to perform his duties as the principal assistant of Mr Bii due to interference by some individuals.

The residents claimed that the frosty relationship between the governor and his deputy was public knowledge.

"We cannot pretend that all was well between the governor and his deputy. We have information that the outgoing deputy governor was fed up with interference by goons who gave him a hard time," said Kimutai Kirui, a Human Rights Defender in Eldoret. 

Kirui said that the joint presser by the governor and Barorot was cosmetic and meant to hide the fallout in the county's top leadership characterised by the outgoing deputy governor skipping key functions including the elevation of Eldoret to city status. 

“Barorot could not work. It is difficult for a professional such as Barorot to deliver in such a toxic environment,” he said. 

Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) Director Kipkorir Menjo said that Barorot was an expert whose ambitions and mode of working would not fit in the murky political field. 

“Barorot was a professional who excelled in the corporate world. He was a technocrat who could not blend well with politicians. He was working in the corporate world where there are timelines and time-bound results unlike in the political field where there is a lot of back-and-forth,” he said.

Another resident argued that claims that the former deputy governor was driven by a passion to return to his area of specialisation was an excuse to leave his job. 

“There is no such a thing. Barorot has been cornered and he cannot persevere the harsh treatment he has been getting. We want the Governor to choose a deputy who he will treat well,” said the resident.

Catherine Ruto claimed that Barorot left in a good manner to "cover the nakedness of his boss so that it does not seem like he had suffered."

“However, we know the truth that our son had suffered and could not stomach the bad treatment he was getting anymore. One can only look for greener pastures if the conditions of his current job are not pleasing,” Ruto claimed.

A county employee who asked not to be named said that the former deputy governor performed his duties meticulously.

"He was down to earth and did his work well. He is a very intelligent man who listened to us and focused on results," said the staff. 

Other residents have however dismissed speculation that Barorot was forced to throw in the towel. 

“No one chased Barorot. He has made his own decision which we respect. We thank him for the period he has served. He was a great leader and we wish him well,” Benjamin Letting said. 

Julius Tum said the former deputy governor had his reasons for quitting other than facing frustrations.

“He (Barorot) got greener pastures and his time was up. We urge the governor to follow the same path he did with Barorot in choosing a new deputy. We believe that if Barorot was facing challenges, he would have told the residents or air his grievances through his communication team,” Tum said.

Governor Bii hailed his deputy as a dedicated leader who played an instrumental role in the county.

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

“While it was our wish to continue working and continue tapping into Eng 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," added the governor.

Barorot while tendering his resignation dismissed allegations of a fallout between him and Bii saying that he had a cordial working relationship with the county boss over the last two years.

“Let us not create a bush fire because we had discussed my exit with the governor over the past month,” he said.