Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and 10 senior county officials have been sentenced to one month in jail after a court found them guilty of ignoring orders to reinstate 30 county employees whose contracts had been terminated unlawfully.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the county leadership failed to comply with an earlier directive requiring the workers to be returned to their jobs, prompting the court to take action against the officials personally.
Among those affected by the ruling are County Secretary Simeon Mutai, the Chairperson of the County Public Service Board and several other senior officers serving in the county administration.
In a major setback for the Bomet County Government, the court ordered that the 11 officials be committed to Nakuru GK Prison for one month for contempt of court.
However, the court offered them a way out, stating that the jail term would only take effect if they fail to fully comply with the orders and reinstate the affected employees.
The case arose from a labour dispute after the workers challenged the termination of their contracts in court and won. Despite securing orders for their reinstatement, the employees accused the county government of refusing to implement the judgment.
The ruling now piles pressure on Governor Barchok’s administration, which must move quickly to comply with the court directive or risk seeing some of its top officials behind bars.
The judgment also sends a strong warning to public officials across the country that failure to obey court orders can attract personal consequences regardless of one’s position in government.