Court stops KPA annual general meeting

The Industrial Court has stopped the much-awaited Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) annual general meeting that was scheduled for this weekend.

According to the organiser, the meeting was scheduled to deliberate the fate of over 136 employees accused of using fake academic papers to acquire employment.

Wednesday, the Industrial Court in Mombasa halted the meeting after disgruntled members moved to court to oppose it, demanding for a special conference to fill the positions of the executive committee that were left vacant after the holders were sacked in July.

The disgruntled members led by Geoffrey Mareko said all the executive members sacked ceased to be officials of the union, given they were not working at the port. Mareko said new facts and evidence had become available after correcting an apparent error in the records.

The sacked employees have challenged KPA’s move and have filed a case to oppose their sacking.

The Dock Workers Union successfully opposed Mareko faction’s push for the special conference and the freezing of the union’s accounts until the positions are filled.

Contempt of court

But the two faction have again moved to court after the Industrial Court Judge James Rika stopped the annual general meeting.

The Judge said that the plans to hold a meeting should be shelved until the court issues a decision on matter on October 2. Justice Rika said any person who will attend the meeting upon being served with his order shall be cited for contempt of court.

“The planned meeting has been stopped and the parties should appea before the court to on October 2. The defendant should file and serve his replying affidavit for grounds of opposition within seven days,” the judge said.