The High Court in Eldoret has temporarily closed down the Uasin Gishu County Assembly pending the hearing of a case challenging the constitutionality of the County Assembly.

This follows a petition filed by human rights activist Kimutai Kirui who went to the court against the County Government.

He petitioned that there was no adequate women representation thus making the assembly illegal.

It was expected that the executive of the County would have done what was necessary and IEBC which currently is pending would have gazetted the women representatives to take the place of those earlier removed by Court.

Kimutai called on the National government to take on essential services in the County. Services like health and Sanitation, water and fire just as it was done in Nairobi County when Governor Mike Sonko failed.

The court order explicitly states, “An order is hereby issued suspending all official sittings/meetings, deliberations by members of the county assembly of Uasin Gishu county assembly pending the hearing and determination of this application”.

The genesis of this legal battle traces back to a previous court decision that annulled the nomination of nine members affiliated with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to the assembly, citing a failure to meet the two-thirds requirement.

Kimutai Kirui, based in Eldoret, contends in his petition that the assembly lacks full and proper constitution for its initial sittings after a General Election unless all constitutionally required members have been nominated and their names published in the gazette¹.