Bomet Woman Representative Linet Chepkorir alias Toto is facing allegations of nepotism and abuse of office for employing her family members at her office.
Two Bomet residents are suing the Woman Rep in a suit filed at the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi.
Collins Barno and Stanley Kiprotich Bii allege Linet Toto failed to adhere to minimum requirements of transparency, fair competition, merit and integrity in the recruitment of her office staff.
According to the duo, six of the 15 members of staff hired by the lawmaker are her immediate relatives.
Additionally, Mr Barno and Mr Kiprotich submitted that Toto’s alleged relatives are taking up Sh612,000 monthly salaries of the Sh811,000 allocated for all office staff members.
“While appointing the six persons, Ms Chepkorir also totally ignored the gender principle which is a requirement in public appointments as the dictates of the Constitution. There are only three women out of the 15 staff she has employed in her office,” court papers add.
The complainants however did not reveal the alleged kinship between Linet Totot and each of the six employees.
The six persons are Dominic Mutai (deputy manager), Josephat Kiplangat (field officer), Sheila Chepng’eno (county coordinator), Emmanuel Kipkorir (media personnel), Pius Kiplangat (communications officer), and Bett Kipkirui (county manager, office of woman representative).
The petitioners said they were hoping to apply for the jobs once advertised but they were later shocked that the woman rep. had handpicked family members and relatives.
“Some of the appointed support staffs of Bomet County women Representative have serious integrity issues and are not fit to serve as public officers. They were not cleared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) before appointment as required by law,” the petitioners wrote.
They want the court to declare the appointment of the six as support staff in the office of Bomet county woman representative as null and void, unlawful and unconditional.
“We urge the court to issue an order directing Ms Chepkorir and Parliamentary Service Commission to recruit their support staff afresh following the guildlines issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and strictly in accordance with the law,” the petitioners applied.
Justice James Rika transferred the petition to the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Eldoret.
“This Petition involves Bomet County. The Employment and Labour Relations Court is in Eldoret, Kisumu, Bungoma and Nakuru, which centres are nearer to Bomet, than Nairobi. There is no reason for the Petition to be filed and heard in the Court at Nairobi,” said Justice Rika.
