Drama In Ruto’s Harambee House Office As Employee Locks Self in for 3 Nights
A tense standoff is unfolding at Harambee House, the official premises housing the Office of the President, after a long-serving government employee defied an order to vacate her office on accessibility grounds.
Phyllis Anyango Ouko, an administration secretary who has served at the facility for over two decades, has refused to relocate from her ground-floor office to the eighth floor. The move, prompted by ongoing renovations, has sparked a heated debate around accessibility, disability rights, and workplace inclusivity within the highest echelons of government.
Ouko, who uses a wheelchair, has called the relocation directive “malicious” and “inhumane,” claiming it fails to consider her mobility limitations and overall safety. She has remained locked in her first-floor office for the past three nights in a bid to prevent it from being demolished.
“All my things, including documents, are in here. I can’t go outside because I am being tracked, like a rat,” Ouko told Citizen TV. “The moment I get out, they will demolish this office. The head of state wants the entire floor for himself, including my office.”
Her concerns go beyond mere convenience. Ouko highlighted the risk posed by elevator malfunctions or power outages, which would leave her trapped on the eighth floor with no viable escape route.
“I’ve asked them what safety measures have been put in place to ensure my safety when there is a malfunction or power outage, but they haven’t given me a substantive answer,” she said.
Despite her efforts to engage Chief of Staff Felix Koskei for a resolution, Ouko claims her appeals have been ignored.
“I am here to speak out. Nobody is listening. Nobody is battling for me,” she added emotionally. “I have struggled with so many challenges to reach where I am right now.”
Ouko argues that there are alternative offices within Harambee House that are more accessible and closer than the eighth floor, but insists these options were never considered.
The unfolding drama has ignited fresh scrutiny of the government’s adherence to disability inclusion policies. According to the Disability Policy & Guidelines for the Public Service on Accessibility & Safety of Built Environment, all public service institutions are required to “ensure that the duty station, workstation, and work environment are conducive to public officers with disabilities.” The policy further mandates that “emergency measures shall also be put in place to ensure that persons with disabilities can safely and effectively evacuate the workplace to an area of safety.”
The renovations in question were among the upgrades proposed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the previous financial year, covering his Harambee Annex office, and residences in Karen and Mombasa.
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