Cotu in strike threat over NSSF sackings

Labour Secretary Kazungu Kambi’s decision to retire workers’ and employers’ representatives from the NSSF board has drawn wide criticism with Cotu threatening to call a strike unless the decision is reversed.

Teachers and political leaders also sharply criticised the move, describing it as irregular and intended to cover corruption at the pensions fund which manages over Sh126 billion of retirement savings for workers in both the private and public sectors.

The Central Organisation Trade Union (Cotu) Sunday declared that it would call a nation-wide strike from August 4 if Mr Kambi does not reverse his decision to remove Mr Francis Atwoli of Cotu and Ms Jacqueline Mugo of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) from the NSSF board.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) warned that its members would withhold their contributions to NSSF following the removal of the two officials on Friday.
Kuppet chairman Omboko Milemba Sunday said Mr Kambi had no powers to take such action.

“We suspect Mr Kambi’s action is meant to cover up corruption at NSSF,” he said.

Two MPs also threatened to table a censure Motion in Parliament against Mr Kambi.

Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi and his Matungu counterpart, Mr David Were, said they will table a Motion to impeach Mr Kambi.

Ms Mugo has said the FKE board will be meeting today (Monday) to decide its next course of action, including demanding the revocation of the Kenya Gazette notice through which Mr Kambi retired her and Mr Atwoli.

Workers representatives from 42 trade unions affiliated to Cotu, led by Mr Atwoli, yesterday faulted the government for intimidating those who advocated for proper governance while glorifying those promoting mismanagement of public resources.

Mr Atwoli attributed his tribulations to his bold stand on corruption and cited his move to expose dubious deals through which, he claimed, NSSF had lost billions of shillings in the last six months.

“I am being hunted down because of my firm resolve to expose thieves out to embezzle workers’ funds,” he said and accused the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) of reluctance to investigate the matter after its officials were allegedly asked to go slow on the issue by influential government officials.

“I asked the government to take auditors to NSSF to confirm this claims after I wrote a statement over the Sh5 billion scandals. But someone at EACC was told to lock the files,” said Mr Atwoli.
Mr Atwoli said that it was unfortunate that Mr Kambi did not have the interests of the workers’ at heart.

Being sent

He also took issue with Mr Kambi’s claims that the Cotu leader does not speak for workers.

“Kambi is being sent and whoever sent him, let him keep off,” he said.

Other Cotu officials said Mr Atwoli sits in the NSSF board of trustees as an elected leader whose removal can only be sanctioned by the workers themselves, not the Cabinet Secretary.
They vowed to put up a spirited fight against the government’s scheme to weaken unions by supporting rivals.

“Atwoli was popularly elected and has the full mandate of Kenyan workers,” said Mr Ernest Nadome, the General Secretary of the Kenya Electrical Trade and Allied Workers Union (Ketawu).

Mr Kambi said that they had served longer than stipulated in law. He said he was implemented laws enacted in February which stipulated that a trustee can only serve a maximum of two terms, equivalent to six years.

15 years

According to him, both Mr Atwoli and Ms Mugo had served in the NSSF board for 15 years. He also said Mr Atwoli had failed to attend nine consecutive meetings of the board.
“I will write to Cotu and FKE to nominate new members,” he had said.

Both the workers and employees representatives have however faulted Mr Kambi’s interpretation of the new regulations, especiallydecision to appl yyhrm retrospectively. There are also questions whether the minister has any power to give directives on the issue.

After the ouster of the two, only Erastus Mwongera of and Cornelius Ogutu remained to represent FKE and Cotu respectively. Other board members are Mr Ismail Noor, the Principal Secretary for Labour, Mr Mutua Kilaka, who represents the National Treasury and Mr Daud Mohammed, the board chair.