Workers union dismiss Ruto directive

A union has faulted Deputy President’s directive to County governments to sack all lazy civil servants saying such a move is a contravention of the law.

In an interview with the Nation, Secretary General of the Union of Kenya Civil Servants Mr Tom Odege said that Deputy President William Ruto did not have the powers to direct county governments to fire officers serving in their respective regions.

“Unless the staff are on secondment, the county government cannot sack an officer without contacting the Public Service Commission. They can only interdict, the Deputy President is misadvising the counties,” said Mr Odege.

DP Ruto speaking during a women groups meeting at Chelemuk in Teso on Sunday said that counties did not need permission from the National Government to sack officers serving in their region if they are inefficient.

Mr Odege asked the county governments to ignore the directives and asked Mr Ruto to 'stop crisscrossing the country issuing rhetoric directives.’

He said that instead, the Deputy President should be issuing directives to protect civil servants who are losing their lives as they serve the government.

Mr Odege was referring to a case where a chief in Baringo County was stabbed to death as he led a crackdown on illicit brews on Thursday.

A senior chief of Ossen location, Mr Jeremiah Chepkwony Kendele, died on the spot after he was stabbed twice in the chest as he attempted to flush out the suspect selling illicit brew in his location.

“This incident happened at DPs backyard and he has not even commented on it,” said Mr Odege.