ELDOWAS Board Rejects Managing Director’s Contract Renewal Amid Worker Unrest and Performance Concerns
“During our board meeting, we reviewed the MD’s performance in key areas of human resources, finance, and technical skills. We resolved not to renew his contract due to poor performance.”
Eldowas Managing Director ,Peter Biwot at a past event/Photo Credit
The Managing Director of Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (ELDOWAS), Peter Biwott, faced a significant setback after the company’s board of directors declined his request to renew his contract for another three years.
David Singoei, the Chairman of the ELDOWAS board, confirmed this decision, stating that Biwott’s contract would not be extended following a review of his performance over the past three years.
Speaking to the media at the Eldoret-based water company after a four-hour closed-door meeting, Singoei explained, “During our board meeting, we reviewed the MD’s performance in key areas of human resources, finance, and technical skills. We resolved not to renew his contract due to poor performance.”
This announcement came after more than 900 workers stormed the company offices, demanding Biwott’s immediate resignation. The embattled MD was expected to appear before the board to address numerous allegations from the workers but failed to attend, citing concerns for his safety.
“We were expecting the MD to appear before the board meeting this morning, but instead he informed us via phone call that he could not make it for fear of being attacked by the workers,” Singoei added.
The workers accused Biwott, whose contract was due to end in the next two months, of refusing to convert over 150 employees to permanent and pensionable status. These employees have been working for the company as casuals or on contracts for over 20 years.
Tensions escalated earlier this year when Biwott hired 60 new workers and placed them on permanent and pensionable terms, overlooking those who had been on casual or contract terms for decades. This move intensified the dissatisfaction among the long-serving employees and contributed to the current crisis.
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