Ex-Cotu official Cornelius Ogutu barred from NSSF board

Labour Relations and Employment court has ordered former Central Organisation Trade Union (Cotu) treasurer Cornelius Ogutu not to sit on the NSSF board until a case lodged against him is heard and determined.

Labour court Judge Nzioki wa Makau in a ruling yesterday, ordered that Mr Ogutu should not transact any business on the board on behalf of the worker’s union until the case filed by Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal workers is determined.

“An interim injunction is issued barring the respondent (Ogutu) from holding himself as a nominee of Cotu to the NSSF board and making any transactions on behalf of  the union or its affiliates,” Justice  Nzioki ruled.

According to court records, Cotu had revoked Ogutu’s nomination last year.

The court heard he had continued to sit on the board the despite the union demands that he should stop carrying out any transactions on its behalf.

The plaintiff in the case before Justice Makau, Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal workers through their lawyer Okweh Achiado said that Ogutu cannot sit on the board as he ceased being a member of Cotu.

“The respondent continues to hold himself as a trustee thereby drawing illegal allowances as he no longer represents interests of Kenya metal workers,” Achiado said.

The court heard that representatives from the union had raised the matter before the authorities over his presence in the board but no action had been taken against him.

Justice Makau ordered the union to serve the respondent so that he can file a response to the allegations before the court. The case will be heard on December 10.