Trans Nzoia’s Deputy Governor, Philomena Kapkory, took the unprecedented step of abandoning her office on Wednesday, October 4, citing security threats from junior staff.
In a letter addressed to her superior, Governor George Natembeya, Kapkory expressed her intention to continue carrying out her official duties remotely, either from her residence or an alternative location in Nairobi.
“Based on many threatening messages towards me from your staff and of which you are aware, I fear for my life,” Kapkory stated.
Expressing her distress over compromised security within the county, the Deputy Governor clarified that she was not resigning from her position but rather temporarily withdrawing from the county headquarters until Governor Natembeya could assure her of adequate security.
“I am available by phone and email. If there is a County Office in Nairobi, I can work from there until I am convinced that it is safe to return,” Kapkory’s letter stated.
According to information from a source within Trans Nzoia County, Kapkory’s predicament stems from a memorandum submitted to the National Dialogue Committee (NDC). The memorandum advocates for the creation of Mt. Elgon County by splitting it from Trans Nzoia.
Although Deputy Governor Kapkory was not present when the petition was submitted, she has been accused by some junior staff of allegedly financing and clandestinely supporting the secession movement.
The situation escalated onto social media platforms, where certain Trans Nzoia residents expressed their displeasure and even threatened Kapkory. The unhappy crowd asserts that Kapkory cannot simultaneously advocate for secession and continue serving as Deputy Governor.
In one such incident on a WhatsApp message, an online user chided Kapkory and suggested she should assume the role of Deputy Governor in the proposed Mt. Elgon County.
