The newly appointed Chemelil sugar company Managing Director Moses Kiprop Kolum has been barred by the High Court from taking over office pending the hearing of a petition challenging his appointment.

Justice Stephen Radido barred Kiprop from assuming office following a lawsuit filed by a sugarcane farmer, Michael Sidigu who claims his appointment was done contrary to the law.

“Pending further proceedings and directions, Kiprop is stopped from assuming or holding the office of Chief Executive Officer or Managing Director of Chemelil Sugar Company Limited,” Justice Radido ordered.

The petitioner alleges that Kiprop has defied the court order by refusing to vacate office.
Kiprop was recently appointed by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Muthika Linturi in a special gazette notice.

Aggrieved with the move, Sidigu petitioned Kisumu High Court saying that Kiprop’s appointment went against the labour laws, Chemelil factory human resources guidelines which indicated that the suitable candidate to be below 56 years old yet Kiproo is 58 years old.

Human resource

“The appointment of Moses Kiprop Kolum is an abuse of the Chemelil Sugar Co Ltd human resource manual, the Chemeli Sugar advertisement and recruitment regulations and rules are contrary to article 10, 73, 232 of the article of Kenya 2010. The said Kiprop is 58 year old when the management demanded 56 years,” Sidigu told the judge.

Urgently halted

He asked the court to intervene and urgently halted Kiprop from assuming office of MD Chemelil Sugar Company limited as has been appointed illegally and has no experience in the sugar Industry as required by the advert for recruitment.

“The said Kiprop has already retired from the Agro chemical industry being on terminal leave from the company but has strangely had his identity card changed in May 2023 when he is retiring so as to secure another job when Kenyans are languishing in shame with qualifications but no jobs, the jobs being snatched from them by fraudulent officers such as the said Kiprop,” the petitioner informed the court.

“Even if we go by his current national identity number obtained in May 2023, he is 58 years at the time of interview contrary to 56 years required in the advert.”

Sidigu further stated in his petition that if Kiprop insisted that he is aged 56 and below, he is willing to pay for a DNA test to have his age assessed and determined by a competent doctor in both private and public utility.