Dock workers meeting aborts as rivals clash

Police try to control a fracas at Mbaraki grounds in Mombasa County on Saturday,07th October,2017.This was after the Dock workers Union's Annual General meeting (AGM) aborted following a fight between two rivals groups.[Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Rival factions of the giant Dock Workers Union (DWU) clashed in Mombasa yesterday forcing the Annual General Meeting to abort.

Among the items on the agenda was the conduct of top union officials and financial impropriety.

The union, which has close to 5,000 members most of whom are employed by the Kenya Ports Authority, has been dogged by controversy. Infighting has been common revolving around a group led by the union’s secretary general Simon Sang and the rival group headed by the chairman, Mr Mohamed Sheria.

Tension has been building between these rival groups after Sang suspended a team allied to Sheria early this year accusing members of the faction of gross misconduct, and failing to attend meetings. Those suspended were Sheria, Treasurer Joseph Makero and vice chairman Gunda Kaneno.

However, the Sheria’s group rejected the suspension and insisted there was a plot to kick them out to cover the secretary general’s own failings and misuse of union funds.

The AGM was postponed for a week after Sang said there was no money to convene it on September 30.  However, Sheria claimed the Secretary General postponed the meeting because he was afraid of being ousted.

Besides personality differences between Sang and his rivals, the fights are also politically motivated.

Sources say Sang is allied to DP William Ruto while the Sheria group is associated with NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga and nominated MP Wilson Sossion.

Saturday’s AGM was called to discuss, among other issues, a tribunal report on the suspended union members.

The report recommends the expulsion of the suspended union officials but yesterday members allied to Sheria indicated that they would introduce a motion to oust Sang over claims of corruption.

Whisked away

The pushing and shoving began immediately union members convened at the Mbaraki Social Hall when they disagreed over who should be the master of ceremony.

Sang wanted to play the role but most members preferred the chief shop steward Badi Mohamed Badi. Sang was shouted down amid pulling and shoving as some members surged towards the dais.  During the melee,   Sang suddenly announced that the AGM had been called off due to lack of quorum. But the members claimed more than 1,000 members were in attendance to meet the quorum threshold.

Sang had to be whisked away by armed police officers to safety.

The drama began earlier when members allied to Sheria heckled Sang as he arrived at the KPA Mbaraki Sports Club venue at 4.30 pm yesterday.

Sang explained that there was lack of quorum and that the meeting had been infiltrated by hooligans. He then promised to convene another meeting in two weeks.

Corruption allegations

“I had to call off the meeting because there were 602 members present instead of 980 to meet the quorum threshold. There was also hooliganism. We did not anticipate unruly mobs,” Sang said.

Sang left the venue immediately after the conflict and addressed a press conference later.

But Sheria, who had arrived at 2pm, said Sang was afraid of being ousted

“There was no hooliganism. What happened was that Sang differed with members over who should be the master of ceremony at the function. Members wanted the chief shop steward to be the MC while Mr Sang wanted to run the show,” said Sheria.

Sang defended his position to suspend the three officials, saying it was in accordance with the union’s constitution.

“The union board has 27 members and I cannot be blamed for a decision made by 24 members against three,” he argued.

He said Saturday’s aborted meeting was to discuss the union’s strategic plan, the auditor’s report and a separate report that recommended removal of Sheria, Makero and Kaneno.

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