County workers will go on strike if newly elected governors do not stop firing those hired by their predecessors.
The Kenya County Government Workers Union told the media in Mombasa on Friday some governors have embarked on unlawful terminations.
They are even forcibly evicting county workers from their offices, union general secretary Roba Duba said.
He said these actions amount to an abuse of powers conferred upon the counties and violation of the law.
“We demand that governors desist from and withdraw any illegal actions," Duba said.
"Failing which we will take all steps to defend our members’ rights, including but not limited to industrial action.”
Duba said some governors have started issuing strong directives, calling them executive orders.
"We thought these were generally a preserve of the national government,” he said.
He said they acknowledge that governors can also give orders within the confines of their powers provided under the County Governments Act.
Duba said governors who took office have been on a firing spree of county workers on the grounds that their recruitment failed to go through the County Public Service Boards.
He said most of these employees are on permanent and pensionable terms, and thus protected by the Constitution and the International Labour Organisation convection.
The convention provides that a public officer shall not be dismissed, removed from office, demoted in rank or otherwise subjected to disciplinary action without due process of the law.
“That’s a very dangerous trend they are setting; one employs unlawfully, the other one sacks unlawfully,” Duba said.
"This is a very unfortunate situation and we will not accept that, particularly those who are members of the union. We will fight to death to make sure that they are not sacked."
He added that if those employed had genuine letters, then there was no need to fire them.
Terminating county workers undermines the principles of governance and devolution, Duba said.
It leads to politicising of the County Public Service Board and entrenching a culture of political patronage, he added.
It also exposes the employees to physical violence, which is a criminal offence under the penal code, Duba said..
The union congratulated President William Ruto for his election, promising to work with him and his deputy and all the governors to ensure that they support the county public service in delivering services to wananchi.
“Our appeal to him is that he requires the goodwill of all, especially after a cut-throat competition,” Duba said.
"He needs the balance left of the people who did not vote for him and he has said it very well that we are all his. So we are speaking as his workers, and reject anything unlawful against workers.”
