Felix Maiyo, the eldest son of the late Baringo Deputy Governor Charles Kipng’ok, was sworn into office as his successor on Thursday.
Mr Maiyo, 36, promised to work closely with his boss, Governor Benjamin Cheboi, to deliver the promises he made to voters in his manifesto.
He takes over from his father, who died on September 14 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after developing breathing problems while preparing to board a Kenya Airways (KQ) flight to Mombasa, where he was to attend a Council of Governors induction workshop.
His swearing-in was presided over by High Court Judge Hillary Kimitei.
“As a family, we were touched by your decision to appoint me to succeed my late father and for this, I pledge my support to your vision in taking this county to great strides in development,” Mr Maiyo said.
“In his honour, we will work together to fulfill the pledges you made to the electorate.”
Rally support
He cited challenges facing the county, such as runaway insecurity, poverty and food insecurity, saying Governor Cheboi “has articulated his practical and workable solutions to address them.”
Mr Maiyo promised to rally well-wishers and stakeholders to support efforts to find solutions for these challenges.
“To the youth, I am one of you and I understand the many challenges that we face. Our governor has given us a seat on the high table. This is not my position, it is yours,” he said.
“I shall be available to serve you and I welcome your input.”
Baringo Deputy Governor Felix Maiyo signing oath of office on November 10, 2022 after being sworn in by High Court Judge Hillary Chemitei. He takes succeeds his late father, Charles Kipngók who died on September 14 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after developing breathing problems, while preparing to board a Kenya Airways (KQ) flight to Mombasa.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation Media Group
Respect the young DG
Governor Cheboi urged local leaders and residents to respect the youthful DG, noting that despite his age, he holds the position and should be treated as such.
“Mr Maiyo may be the age of my son, but he is my deputy. I urge all the county government employees, local leaders and residents to respect and treat him as the deputy governor. If I send him, you must take into consideration that he is there on my behalf,” he said.
Two weeks ago, the county assembly unanimously endorsed Mr Maiyo’s nomination, paving the way for his formal appointment after vetting by the committee on appointments.
Mr Maiyo is a multilingual engineer with five years’ experience in the oil, gas and geothermal sector. He has a master of science degree from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He also worked for National Oilwell Varco, KenGen and CMC Motors.
Until his appointment, the father of two was managing his family’s business.
Elders and locals had fronted him for the position, terming him the best fit to replace his father.
Ethnic politics also played out in the DG succession.
