Pusetu moves to court in bid to fill Cotu post on NSSF board

Adan Mohamed chairman NSSF (left) with PUSETU vice Secretary, Mudzo Nzili Mudzo at a Nairobi hotel Friday during a breakfast meeting with PUSETU leaders to discuss implicationsof new NSSF ACT. [PHOTO: FIDELIS KABUNYI/STANDARD]

The Federation of Kenya Public Service Unions of Kenya (Pusetu) is now demanding to take the slot reserved for the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) in the national pension fund’s board.

Pusetu moved to the High Court to claim the position yesterday, marking a surprise turn in the Cotu and Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi row amidst claims of corruption in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Last week, Kambi removed Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli, from NSSF’s board, sparking a bitter row that ended up in the courts. Also removed from the board was Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) representative, Jackline Mugo. Pusetu is a rival union to Cotu, which is believed to have Government support.

Pusetu instructed lawyer Alfred Nyandieka, to move to court as an interested party demanding that Atwoli be reinstated to NSSF board of trustees since he lacks the sufficient numbers of membership.

The union claims that its membership was the largest and draws support from the civil servants who contribute to the Fund.
Pusetu, in a sworn statement of the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) Secretary General Tom Odege, said their members pay six per cent of their basic salary besides the employers’ contribution.

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“All our members are affected by the Act and consequently entitled to representation, and Cotu does not represent our membership drawn from public service and that there are two unions representing workers in the country presently,” said Odege.

Cotu had earlier moved to court terming Kambi’s move illegal. The court stopped the Cabinet Secretary’s directive from taking effect until August 5.

The Industrial Court directed that the application be enjoined in the case lodged by Cotu and Atwoli. The case will be heard inter parties on Thursday next week.
Yesterday, FKE National Chairperson Linus Gitahi, cautioned Kambi against what he termed attempts to destabilise labour relations.

Gitahi said that Kambi was attempting to intimidate employers and workers representative in what could dilute their roles contrary industrial relations regulations.

“We are saddened by the CS’s attempt to remove the employers’ and workers’ representatives from the NSSF board. The act was exceeding its power and eroding our tripartite relations,” he said. In the case filed yesterday, Pusetu said it represents a total of 500,000 members.

The case will be heard on July 31.