Governors Jonathan Bii (Uasin Gishu) and Wesley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakawet) have called for a crisis on Wednesday at the Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company to resolve a row sparked by the sacking of a director and casual labourers leading to protests.
The governors are seeking to resolve the crisis which has put Eldowas CEO Peter Biwott on the spot over claims of mismanaging the company.
The company supplies water to Eldoret town and its environs. Much of the water is sourced from Chebara dam in the neighbouring Elgeyo Marakwet county.
Biwott denied allegations against him after hundreds of Moiben Kuserwo residents in Marakwert West demonstrated demanding the immediate removal of Biwott accusing him of highhandedness in running the water firm.
He termed the allegations as politically instigated and said in the last year he had been at the company he had confirmed 60 youths into permanent and pensionable terms.
He also said the company was not responsible for the removal of the director.
The residents of Moiben Kuserwo have threatened to disrupt the flow of water from Chebara Dam to Eldoret claiming Eldowas had unfairly targeted the local community by dismissing a director and some of the local youth employed on contract by the water company.
“As the host community since the launch of the Chebara Dam project in 1998, we have not benefited from it. Many of our youth have been employed on a contractual basis for more than 9 years and have now been sacked without any reason,” John Kibiwott, a resident said.
They complained that last week one of the directors who represented the community on the water board was unfairly dismissed.
Governor Rotich said although Eldowas sources its water from his county residents had for so many years raised concern over the lack of access to water from the dam for their use.
Rotich said the residents had scaled down some of the farming activities in a move to protect the dam from soil erosion.
“It's thus unbearable to sack staff who have been feeding their families through earnings from the water company at a time when the economy is down. The leadership of Eldowas may not understand how the earnings by the workers matter in their lives,” Rotich said.
He said he had talked with Governor Bii and they had agreed to meet Eldowas management over the dispute.
“Eldowas should unconditionally reinstate all sacked staff as we look for a solution to the matter," Rotich said.
He said the company should also explain why the sackings happened.
The residents also accused Biwott of failing to ensure that they benefited from social corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by Eldowas.
