Win For Kangogo As Court Halts County Workers' Elections

By Suleiman Mbatiah

County government workers have welcomed a High Court decision halting elections of the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) that had been scheduled for Monday, 16 February 2026.

The High Court in Machakos issued temporary conservatory orders after a petition by Veska Kangogo, an aspirant for the position of General Secretary. She cited lack of transparency and alleged procedural irregularities.

Kangogo, Adviser on Strategy and Execution in the Office of the President, seeks to oust former Moyale MP Roba Duba, who has been at the helm of the workers’ body for three terms.

In orders dated February 16, Justice Noel Adagi certified the matter urgent and barred the union from conducting the polls pending further directions.

The petition, filed as HCCHRPET/E001/2026, lists Kangogo as the applicant against the Kenya County Government Workers Union and its Elections Committee, among others.

The court directed that the application and order be served by 8.30am the same day and granted respondents two days to reply.

The case will be mentioned on February 19 for inter partes directions.

Speaking after the ruling, Kangogo said delegates had gathered for a National Delegates Conference to elect national officials and governing council representatives when concerns arose over the process.

“We had convened to elect national officials, including the General Secretary and members of the governing council, but serious questions were raised about how the process was being handled,” she said.

She argued that the union constitution requires each region to elect two governing council members, one male and one female, and claimed the framework adopted did not reflect that requirement.

“The process lacked transparency. Some aspirants were denied a fair opportunity to contest, and there were irregularities in the preparation of the ballot,” Kangogo said.

Joseph Okole, the Busia County branch chairman and a long-serving member of the union’s National Executive Council, supported the court’s intervention.

“The way the election was structured did not inspire confidence among sections of the membership. We need an environment that guarantees free and fair elections,” he said.

Okole said the process, as structured, did not inspire confidence among sections of the membership and called for an environment that guarantees free and fair elections.

He argued that the union leadership should not oversee an election in which it is also a contestant, saying that separation of roles is necessary to protect democratic principles.

Kangogo previously served as a County Executive Committee (CEC) member in Nairobi City County. In 2022, she ran for the Uasin Gishu governorship, raising her national profile.

The respondents had not filed responses by press time.