Atwoli and Mugo return to NSSF board

Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has appointed two more members to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) board.

The CS named Central Organisation of Trade Unions boss Francis Atwoli and Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) chief executive officer Jacqueline Mugo to the board after a year of litigations.

The appointment of Mr Atwoli and Ms Mugo is dated January 18.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 6 (d) of the National Social Security Fund Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection appoints— under paragraph (i)— Jacqueline Mugo under paragraph (ii) —Francis Atwoli to be members of the National Social Security Fund Board of Trustees, for a period of three years,” said Mr Yatani.

On Thursday, Mr Atwoli thanked the government for the appointment saying they will protect the money of workers which run into hundreds of billions of shillings.

“We are back in the board and I thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for this appointment,” said Mr Atwoli when he issued an affiliation certificate to Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) which has now joined Cotu.

He asked trade union leaders to fight for the rights of workers at all cost saying that is their core responsibilities.

The minister had declined to gazette the names of the two since last year’s forcing them to seek court's intervention.

In October last year, Labour court stopped the NSSF board from holding meetings until a dispute over its composition   is resolved.

The court added that the orders would be lifted should the gazettement be effected.

Mr Atwoli, said that the interests of more than 2.5 million workers would not be catered for should board meetings be held without him.

Now with the gazettement, NSSF board can now hold its meetings.