Industrial Court orders Pyrethrum Board to pay employees Sh15 million

NAKURU, KENYA: The Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority has been ordered by the Industrial Court in Nakuru to pay 100 former Pyrethrum Board of Kenya employees Sh15Million in 30 days.
The court also ordered that the former employees receive Sh3million every 7th day of month from May 2015.
This follows a settlement entered by the defunct Pyrethrum Board of Kenya in October 30, 2013 to pay Sh61,919,493 to the former employees who filed the case after they were declared redundant in 2009.
The staff layoffs was part of staff rationalisation program introduce by then head of public service Ambassador Francis Muthaura.
The Authority in November 19, 2014 sought to stay execution of warrants of attachments by the formers employees and an order allowing them to pay the Sh61Million through monthly installments.
They argued that the Board is in a precarious financial position and proposed to pay the sum by monthly installments of Sh1 million up to February 2015.
They further noted that the Board has already paid Sh18Million to the former employees.
Through an affidavit filed by Salomon Odero Interim head of the Pyrethrum and other Industrial Crops Directorate, auctioneers raided the Board's premises and attached properties including extraction and processing plants.
Odero further told the court that the Board relies mainly on government funds for its operations.
Howard Kipkoech Korir, one of the Claimants, admitted that the Board had paid Sh18Million of the Sh61Million but stated that the full amount should have been paid by November 1, 2013
Korir told the court that the Board was not acting in good faith as it was sound financial status with assets worth over Sh5Billion.