KENYA: The county government has suspended the Gusii Water and Sanitation Company (Gwasco) acting managing director and the entire board.
On Monday, 200 protesting workers of the company evicted Richard Kimang’a from his office for allegedly fighting a junior employee.
NEW MANAGER
Speaking to the Press yesterday, Kisii County Deputy Governor Joash Maangi said they had opted to suspend the acting MD and had appointed a new acting manager for a period of three months.
Mr Maangi directed the ministry in charge to act expeditiously on all the issues raised by workers to ensure there is no disruption of Gwasco services.
The workers claimed that they have been discriminated by Kimang’a on salary increments and promotions.
“We are bitter with the acting manager because he is not taking our concerns seriously,” said one of the employees.
“We have been working but we have never been awarded a salary increment for the last three years,” the workers told senior county government officials outside the company premises.
They claimed that deductions made from their salaries have never been submitted to their Ukulima Sacco, a move that has made it impossible for them to acquire loans.
They further alleged that the MD had been employing workers arbitrarily, saying that he had failed to confirm others.
The company board has been under the chairmanship of Benjamin Onkoba. It has been facing management challenges for the last five years.
TERMINAL LEAVE
In 2013, the board sent the then company MD John Mogoba on a one-month terminal leave pending evaluation of his performance but he later resumed office.
Gwasco is charged with the responsibility of supplying water to towns and urban centres in Kisii and Nyamira counties.
