Panic as Bomet workers told to reapply for jobs

The Bomet County government has ordered all workers of the defunct local authorities to reapply for the jobs they are currently holding.

A letter to the affected workers dated September 16 and signed by Urban Planning chief officer Richard Sigei reads: “We are aware that you did not apply for your positions as recently advertised.

“The county government would like to give you a second and last chance to apply for your positions within the next seven days of this letter if you are still interested in working for the County Government of Bomet.”

TURNING TO SRC
The letter further stated that “appropriate and necessary action” would be taken against the workers should they fail to heed the directive.

Dr Sigei’s letter was copied to the County Secretary and the Human Resource Department.

The workers moved to court last month challenging the county government’s demand that they re-apply for their jobs. The workers argued that the county government was planning to place them in lower job groups.

Reports indicate that out of the 281 workers, who used to work for the local authorities, only 16 reapplied for the jobs.

Recently, the affected workers presented their grievances to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission chairperson Sarah Serem, who assured them that she would take up the matter with the relevant departments.

WORKERS FILE SUIT
On Sunday, some of the affected workers who spoke to Nation said they would not reapply for the jobs as directed by Dr Sigei.

One of the affected workers said it was wrong for Dr Sigei to ask them to reapply for their jobs when the matter was still before the Industrial and Labour Relations Court in Kericho.

The workers’ suit filed by the Kenya Local Government Workers Union is set for hearing this Thursday.

“I will not heed this directive. It is not fair at all,” said one of the workers, who requested not to be named for fear of reprisals.

Recently, Governor Isaac Ruto said the county government was not planning to sack the workers.

PAYROLL HARMINISATION
He said the decision to make them re-apply for their jobs was done to harmonise the payroll.

“My administration has done job evaluation for these workers and the main reason of asking them to apply for the jobs was to actually to place them into their rightful positions in the government,” he said.

He, however, said workers who were not interested in working for the county government would be released to the national government for redeployment.