Former casual employees in Migori have asked the local government to reinstate them.
They have threatened to initiate a contempt case against the county over its failure to comply with a court order issued on May 2, for their reinstatement.
Led by chairman of the local casual workers’ union Michael Abich, the group, who were retrenched on June 15 last year, claimed they were not informed of the reasons for their termination and have not been paid since.
"We demand that the county government respects the court's decision and reinstate us immediately. It's been almost a year since we were retrenched without explanation and without pay," Abich said.
While speaking to the press in Migori town on Wednesday, Abich said the government must reinstate all victims, saying being jobless caused them suffering as they were failing in their obligations to fend for their families.
Vice chair Simon Mbaja questioned the inconsistency in their retrenchment, saying other casual workers continued to serve, clearly indicating unfairness in the whole matter.
He accused the county leadership of favouritism, nepotism and corruption in handling their case. Mbaja said some of the retained workers were employed on the same day as the sacked ones.
"If our contracts were over, why are other members still working?" he asked.
He added that other staff were recruited later, when the County Service Board, mandated to hire and fire workers, was suspended for a while over a court case.
"Which board employed the current serving casual workers?"
Dennis Aguga, the local casual workers' coordinator, urged the government to adhere to the court order, highlighting their prolonged suffering.
"We have suffered for a full year without jobs. The county government must respect the court order and reinstate us," Aguga said.
Consequently, the group threatened to hold peaceful street protests if they would not be reinstated by Friday. The demonstrations will begin on Monday, they said.
County Secretary Oscar Olima had announced last week that they would not comply with the court’s verdict, sparking outrage among the affected workers.
