Staff of merged parastatals will not lose jobs, CS assures

There will be no job losses as a result of restructuring State firms under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei has assured.

Mr Koskei said once the merger of eight parastatals and four agricultural institutes under the ministry was complete, staff would be redeployed.

Koskei noted that staff under the affected parastatals would be retained and absorbed into the new bodies and there was no need for alarm over possible job loss once the new bodies were formed.

“There will be no job loss once the merger is complete. All staff that are in service will be absorbed and will work in the same capacity under the new bodies to be formed,” he said.

The CS was speaking yesterday during a Press briefing at Kilimo House where he met acting CEOs of the various parastatals set for merger ahead of the July 1 deadline.

Two bodies

The two bodies that will be formed once the merger is complete, according to Koskei, are the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority (Affa), and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro)

State corporations that will fall under Affa include the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya, Cotton Development Authority, Coffee Board of Kenya, Horticultural Crops Development Authority, Kenya Sugar Board, Kenya Sisal Board, Kenya Coconut Development Authority and the Tea Board of Kenya.

Organisations that will fall under Kalro include the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Coffee Research Foundation, Tea Research Foundation and the Sugar Research Foundation.

Koskei urged the acting chief officers to closely work with the county governments to ensure a smooth working environment once the new bodies were up and running.