Sacked employees of Nakuru Water Company want their jobs back

By Patrick Kibet

Nakuru, Kenya: Two union officials have moved to the Industrial Court after they were sacked by Nakuru Water and Sewerage Services Company (Nawasco).

Francis Makokha and Zephaniah Nyambane, who are Kenya Local Government Workers Union branch officials, want the court to order for their reinstatement after the company sacked them following a strike in November 2010.

The two former employees were sacked from the water company following industrial action, which paralysed services at the company between July and November 2010.

Testifying Monday in court, Makokha told Judge Byram Ongaya that managing director John Cheruiyot victimised him yet he was an industrious employee.

“I was never given a warning letter or a notice in my seven years at the company. I was an industrious worker,” Makokha told the court.

Seven years

He told the court he worked at the water services company for seven years after he was seconded from the municipal council in 2000. “I was first employed by the Municipal Council of Nakuru in 1997 before I was seconded to work at Nawasco after the formation of the company,” he testified.

He further told the court Mr Cheruiyot was forcing workers not to join the union despite a court order, which directed the company to allow workers to voluntarily join the organisation.

Nawasco lawyer Tom Ojienda questioned why Makokha participated in an industrial action, which was illegal and further advocated for disruption of services.

He also told the court Makokha obstructed police officers on November 1 when employees went on strike after the company deducted Sh200 from their salary.