Kericho Governor Erick Mutai and his deputy Fred Kirui clashed at the county’s Madaraka Day celebrations on Thursday, June 1, after the latter accused his boss of mistreatment.
Before inviting the governor, Kirui stated that he had been neglected and demanded respect while performing his duties as the second in command.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with being sidelined despite being elected on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket.
Kirui stated that he had made many sacrifices for the governor, including dropping his bid for the top job.
“The governor is here and knows the agreement we signed. I dropped my bid to be his deputy, and as I have said, I have been using my money to fuel my cars.
“We should know that there are those who voted for me and those who voted for him. We should know that this is a coalition government. I respect the governor and I want to ask that you (governor) also respect me and all these issues will be sorted,” he lamented.
When he took the stage, however, the governor called out his deputy for making false claims during the event.
Despite acknowledging differences, Mutai pointed out that his deputy had more privileges than him, including more county vehicles.
As a result, he directed his deputy to seek him and resolve their differences without involving the public.
“You have two vehicles and an escort car. I only have one. We can increase the number to three and help your office with whatever you want.
“We can double the fuel from 150 to 300 litres. I am saying that you must not bring issues to the public for discussion. It makes us look stupid,” the governor responded.
