In a stinging rebuke to Governor Kenneth Lusaka, the Employment and Labour Relations Court has temporarily reinstated senior Bungoma County officials who were shown the door without notice, a letter, or any semblance of due process.

The interim orders come just days after Lusaka sacked his entire county cabinet, the county attorney, and the county secretary — a move he publicly justified as a bid to boost efficiency and service delivery.

But 11 aggrieved officials, including County Executive Committee (CEC) members and the County Secretary, weren’t having it. Armed with an urgent petition filed barely 24 hours after the governor’s press statement, they marched to court, arguing that their abrupt dismissal was anything but lawful.

“The petitioners are aggrieved with the decision of the Governor of Bungoma to abruptly and without any reasons at all dismiss them from office,” their lawyer, Peter Wanyama, told the court. “None of the petitioners has received a letter communicating the decision to terminate their employment.”

The petition tears into the governor’s action as “arbitrary and whimsical,” citing flagrant violations of the Constitution — namely the right to fair administrative action and fair labour practices. While the County Governments Act grants a governor power to fire CEC members, the petitioners insisted that power is not a blank cheque. It must be exercised reasonably, lawfully, and with procedural fairness.

The court agreed — at least for now. Certifying the matter as urgent, it issued conservatory orders suspending Lusaka’s decision and effectively reinstating the affected officials pending a full hearing.

Governor Lusaka had on April 9 defended the mass firing as a good-faith, public-interest overhaul to protect institutional integrity. He promised no disruption to services.

But for the 11 officials, the court’s ruling is a lifeline — and a loud reminder that in Kenya, even county bosses must play by the rules.