Nyandarua county casual workers on Monday drove an exhauster to the Public Service Board offices and released raw sewage to protest against
secretary Jack Mbugua.
About 300 workers then camped at the office and called for Mbugua’s sacking, accusing him of frustrating them and running a one-man show.
The group said Mbugua has refused to obey Governor Daniel Waithaka’s directive that workers be employed on permanent and pensionable terms.
Kenya County Government Workers’ Union branch chairman Ernest Macharia said the staff, inherited from the now-defunct county council, have neither been promoted nor employed on permanent and pensionable basis for four years.
He said the workers have no appointment letters despite the Nyandarua assembly directing the Public Service Board to issue them.
Macharia also said the workers’ salaries are delayed. The group demanded that the governor go to the scene and address their grievances.
Waithaka went to the scene and promised the group they will be paid by tomorrow. “I congratulate you for maintaining peace as you demand for your rights. We will follow up and you can rest assured your issues will be looked into,” he said
Waithaka told the workers to write a petition to the county assembly to address their other grievances, and send him a copy.
“I will act when I see the petition with my own eyes,” he said
Rurii MCA Wahome Kamoche said, “This issue has arisen because the secretary of the Public Service Board operates the unit like it is private property.”
He said the exhaust lorry driver should not be victimised because “it is all workers agreed to use the only language that could be understood to pass a message.” Mbugua was unavailable for comment.