Resolve looming crisis over NSSF leadership

Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi’s ejection of two key members of the board of the National Social Security Fund has opened yet another round of needless negative publicity.

When it is not about gross mismanagement, outright looting, misadvised investment or the purchase of land at hugely inflated prices, the NSSF is hardly ever heard about.

This is unfortunate, as the NSSF was set up to secure the lives of its members in old age.

But, they often have to wait for long periods to get paid on leaving employment, or they discover their accounts are not up-to-date. And yet here is a well-funded organisation that can afford to hire the very best to ensure prudent and fruitful investments.

Mr Kambi purports to have strictly followed the law in removing Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli and Federation of Kenya Employers’ representative Jacqueline Mugo, from the board.

But the law he relied on came into effect only early this year, and cannot be applied retroactively. Mr Atwoli and Ms Mugo can, therefore, not be said to be in breach of the rule that limits board members’ tenure to two three-year terms.

Though the Labour Secretary is wrong, equally disturbing is the reaction of Cotu, which has called for a nationwide strike to force the rescinding of the minister’s order.

We do not see why the country should be dragged into industrial chaos over a seemingly straightforward matter.

What is lacking here is a willingness to reason together. The three parties must resolve this unnecessary crisis.

Though the government has a role to play in nurturing social security, its officers must never forget that this is not State cash.

The Fund controls money remitted by workers and their employers. Their representatives must have a say in how it is managed.