Olkaria I construction comes to a standstill as workers go on strike

Naivasha, Kenya: Works in the multi-billion Olkaria (I) power plant have stalled following a strike by over 600 workers involved in the construction of the power station.

As a result, the country’s hope of getting an extra 280mw by the end of the year hangs in the balance as the strike by the workers from H-Young Company entered the second week.

Senior managers from Kengen who declined to be named expressed their concern over their strike noting that the mega project was already behind schedule.

This came as the workers held a demonstration along the Moi South Lake road adversely affecting the flow of traffic.

Carrying twigs and placards, the workers accused the company of failing to pay them their risk allowance despite been affected by poisonous geothermal gases.

They said that the gases were affecting their health with many workers complaining of chest congestion and pain in their body joints.

One of the workers Samuel Maweu said they had been promised to get their risk allowances last month something that did not happen.

Maweu said despite working in risky areas the management had kept its silence over the payments and they were been kept in the dark.

“We have a very arrogant project manager who does not care about the health of the workers so long as the job is done,” he said.

According to him, some of the workers had been subjected to working in the steam fields without proper protection.

“The steam has some poisonous gases in it and each time we have workers who are admitted in hospitals due to illnesses associated with the gases,” he said.

Another worker Mburu Muhuri said the company had refused to implement the comprehensive bargain agreement (CBA) that they signed when they began the project.

Muhuri said the company had vowed to protect the safety of the workers when it was awarded the contract but this had failed to be done.

He said they were been taken for a ride because the project was nearing its completion noting that if nothing was done they would end up losing the millions owed to them by the company.

The workers were joined by the Olkaria member of county assembly Peter Pallang’a who called on management to work on the workers plight and save its reputation.

Pallang’a noted that the CBA they signed was clear on how to make risk allowance payments and said it should be implemented to the letter.

“We stand by the workers in calling the management to honor its pledge and pay the workers who are suffering so that normal activities can resume,” he said.

Efforts to contact the management bore no fruit as calls to the company went unanswered as it emerged they were in a crisis meeting.

- Antony Gitonga