Blind laundry woman unpaid for wrongful sacking

Visually impaired June Jebet wants to get back her laundry job at the Kenya School of Government.

She also wants the Sh300,000 compensation a magistrate ordered the KSG in Kabarnet to pay her in May this year. The court cited wrongful dismissal.

Jebet used to earn Sh15,000 a month to support her mother and daughter, two-year-old Angel.

"My life has been reduced to a prisoner's existence," Jebet, 29, told the Star and other reporters on Wednesday outside her one-room rented mabati house.

Jebet, a Person Living with Disability, was given a dismissal letter on September 1, 2018, as soon as she returned from three-months' maternity leave.

The letter cited poor performance and laziness.

“I used to foot my own bills and support my family but now I depend on others to feed us," she said, sobbing.

She depends on family members for support.

Jebet lost her sight after suffering from acute malaria and was not able to sit her KCSE exam, she had to drop out.

She underwent two head surgeries and a tube was implanted, running from her head to her right lung. She spends Sh20,000 annually for check-ups.

Her mother Lisa Chemutai, a farmer, said, "Despite her health condition, she used to work hard and provide for herself and us. I leave everything to God."

Jebet said she wrote to KSG appealing to be reinstated but was rejected. She filed a petition against the college in the Nakuru Employment and Labour Relations court on October 30, 2018.

The dismissal letter read: "The management of KSG has received your performance report for 2017-2018 and you have not met the required score of 90 per cent." It was signed by Charles Okundi.

She used to work in the library but was transferred to the laundry section.

Jebet told the court through lawyer Sheila Sabaya that despite being physically challenged, the condition is not so serious that it should be used as an "excuse" for poor performance.

“In fact, only a few people knew my condition because I used to do my work with a lot of determination. Sometimes I worked until 8pm or 9pm," she said.

Senior resident magistrate Benjamin Limo on May 20 this year ordered KSG to pay Jebet Sh300,000 compensation for wrongful dismissal within 14 days.

“But since then I have never received anything, not even a single communication from the college,” Jebet said, adding that her life is wasting away.

Magistrate Limo said the institution did not dispute that Jebet was a certified person living with disability.

He termed the dismissal unfair and contrary to Section 51 of the Employment Act, cap 226.

The KSG was ordered to issue a certificate of service to Jebet within 60 days.

KSG's Solomon Letangule has threatened to appeal. 

He did not respond to phone calls or text messages from the Star seeking comment.

In a response filed in the same court on June 13, 2019, KSG said Jebet was employed on contract from October 1, 2015.

“Her job was renewed annually since then until 1st September 2018 when she was dismissed and handed termination letter due to low performance," the letter says.

She is said to have been replaced.

Kituro High School, where she studied, said she was responsible, hardworking and earned good grades until she was forced to leave because of illness.

Jebet appeals to well-wishers to help her buy medication and support her family.

(Edited by V. Graham)