The Employment and Labour Relations Court has stopped Nairobi County from continuing with the intended recruitment of employees and conducting interviews scheduled for November 25, 2021, to December.
Judge Stella Chemtai Ruto suspended the move on Thursday by the county to recruit staff pending the hearing and determination of an application filed in court.
“The respondents are hereby restrained from proceeding with the intended recruitment of employees and from conducting interviews specifically scheduled from November 25 2021 to December 21, 2021,” part of the order reads.
The orders were issued after a successful application by two Kenya County Government workers Kennedy Malimo and Amos Otwal, who are assistant fire officers in Nairobi County through their lawyer Kariuki Karanja against the Nairobi County government.
Judge Chemtai at the same time directed the applicant to serve the Application upon the County before the closing of business on November 25 2021.
The workers contested that the county is embarking on recruitment contrary to the Memorandum of Agreement dated February 5, 2020, between the Workers Union and Nairobi County.
They added that in the aforesaid agreement, it has been agreed that Nairobi County would undertake an analysis on promotions, stagnation, and right placement.
According to them, many workers in the county have worked for decades without job analysis or promotions.
The workers are calling on the Nairobi County Public Service Board to first look inward and audit its workforce/human resource before embarking on an expensive exercise of recruiting and training new staff.
Lawyer Kariuki added that the two applicants have been employees of Nairobi County and they haven't been promoted for the last 10years.
“Both Malimo and Otwal are seeking to be enjoined in the Petition, “added Kariuki.
The matter is scheduled for Mention on Monday, November 29, 2021, when the court is expected to issue further directions.
The interviews were scheduled to run from November 25 to December 21, 2021.
Kariuki says that Milimo has been an employee of Nairobi County for more than 30years while Otwal has served Nairobi County for more than 25 years.
Kenya County Government Workers Union is also an applicant in this matter against the County and its Public Service Board.
