Nairobi — The eagerly awaited mayoral election in Malindi has been thrown into disarray following the eviction from office last week of the Town Clerk Mr Peter King'oina by striking workers.

The election which was scheduled for this week has been postponed indefinitely according to the mayor, Councillor Mohamed Menza.

"We are waiting for a new Town Clerk before we can hold elections. We are waiting for word from the minister Mr Musalia Mudavadi," said the mayor on Wednesday.

The Town Clerk is usually the returning officer in such elections but the council does not have one after Mr King'oina who had served there only six months, was barred from enterng his office on July 3.

The workers went on strike demanding that Mr king'oina be transfered after they accused him of failing to submit their savings, cooperative contributions and witholding their uniform allowences.

The workers vowed never to allow the Town Clerk in his office which they locked and kept the keys after demonstrations around Town Hall.

In a dramatic event, Malindi District Officer Mrs Josephine Njenga who brought the Town Clerk in a convoy of Administration and regular police officers to take him in, the council security closed the main entrance to the hall.

Workers sung dirges and booed and heckled even the administrator and police officers forcing the convoy to turn back and flee. Mrs Njenga told the press that she was only enforcing an order from above.

"This is an order from above. I have been ordered to make sure the Town Clerk, who is a civil servant, gets into office," she said.

Mr King'oina said he was shocked by the workers' move because they had not sent any grievances to him.

"I don't know of any wrong I have committed, and if there is any, there are procedures to be followed, not locking a public office. They have the union to channel their grievances. What they have done is pure impunity. I am shocked," he said.