The Labour Court in Kisumu has awarded Sh2.5 million to a former Kisumu Chief Officer who was unfairly dismissed.

The court ruled that the Gender, Culture and Sports officer Lucy Atieno Matengo was wrongly sacked and awarded her the amount in lost salary and gratuity.

“The county did not afford the her an opportunity to make representations before arriving at the decision to bring her contract to an end, and the Court finds that this was unfair,” said Justice Stephen Radido.

Matengo had sued Kisumu County’s Public Service Board and Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, who sent her on compulsory leave on August 24, 2017.

The governor claimed he wanted “evaluate her performance and reorganize the county government.”

“The compulsory leave was followed by a letter dated September 26, 2017, informing me of the contract’s termination. The reason given was the reorganisation of the county government,” Matengo pleaded in her court papers

Matengo was appointed to the position on a 5-year term on January 26, 2017.

In the petition filed on August 15, 2018, Matengo was seeking Sh5,523,293 in compensation.

In his ruling last week, Justice Radido awarded her a lost salary of Sh905,520 and a gratuity of Sh1,633,600, amounting to Sh2,539,120.

The court, however, dismissed her plea that the county foots the cost of the case.