Kisumu Kemri employees strike over delayed salaries
Centre for Disease Control (CDC) workers hold demonstrations at their headquarters in Kisumu on September 21, 2015 over salary delays. At least 1500 medical officers downed their tools alleging that they have not been paid for the last two months. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The stalemate started when the research body announced that Sh7.2 billion had been stolen from its coffers in March 2015.
- The institute has so far retrenched more than 1,000 workers for lack of funds to pay their salaries and other benefits.
- The workers accused the principal investigator, Ms Pauline Mwinzi, of transferring all her research specimen to Nairobi because the institute does not have power to run any studies.
- Ms Mwinzi, who was present as the striking workers chanted slogans demanding that she vacates office, declined to speak to journalists.
At least 1,500 Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) employees in Kisumu Monday downed their tools over delayed salaries.
The workers have since petitioned the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) board of management and Kemri’s board of directors to act on the salary row.
The stalemate started when the research body announced that Sh7.2 billion had been stolen from its coffers in March 2015.
The workers said that they have not been paid their August salaries plus gratuity.
Their contracts have also not been renewed since the last contract agreement expired in April 2014 yet they have continued to work.
Mr Erick Ondieki, the chairman of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers Kisumu Chapter, said new managers who replaced those who were ousted over the loss have made the situation worse.
The institute has so far retrenched more than 1,000 workers for lack of funds to pay their salaries and other benefits.
“With the changed management system, project activities have been adversely affected and in most instances staff have to dig into their pockets to save their projects,” Mr Ondieki said.
NO PAY, NO RESEARCH
“We are demanding to be paid what is rightfully ours; we are not going to conduct any research until our needs are met,” he told Nation at Kemri offices in Kisumu.
The workers accused the principal investigator, Ms Pauline Mwinzi, of transferring all her research specimen to Nairobi because the institute does not have power to run any studies.
The workers want her and a Mr Barrack Sungu to leave office following allegations that they were part of the scheme where billions were lost.
Ms Mwinzi, who was present as the striking workers chanted slogans demanding that she vacates office, declined to speak to journalists.
Mr Ondieki said that the workers have been blacklisted by various banks over non-compliance on repayment of loans.
“How are we going to survive? We are not being paid and the banks do not allow any worker from CDC to borrow loans.” he said.
Mr Maurice Opetu, the nurses’ union Kisumu Secretary-General, said that it was unfortunate that some of their members were guarantors to staff whose contracts had been terminated.
“Are they going to pay the bank the balance or how is the issue going to be handled? The salaries are now delayed and we do not even know if in the coming months they will be paid,” said Mr Opetu.
