• In the case, an Activist has gone to court seeking the removal of KNATCOM CEO for gross misconduct
• The CEO is also said to have paid close to Sh300,000 for her driver to attend a conference abroad
Image: THE STAR
A driver who has allegedly reached the retirement age but still works for a national commission takes home over Sh 1 million as an annual salary.
According to a petition filed in court, the said driver is still working at Kenya National Commission for UNESCO (KNATCOM) even though he is over 60 years while his peers were sent on retirement last year.
The petition in court is seeking the removal of CEO Evangeline Njoka from the commission for several gross misconducts including retaining the said driver even though he should be retired.
Activist Jeremiah Ocharo sensationally claimed that Njoka has looted the commission's meagre resources including paying close to Sh 300,000 for the driver's trip to attend the UNESCO General Conference last year even though he didn’t have anything to do.
“Njoka has plundered the commission's meagre resources by sponsoring her driver who was on terminal leave for retirement to attend the UNESCO General Conference of November 2019 for a one-week at a possible cost of Sh298,452 excluding air ticket. The driver had no meeting to attend other than sightseeing,” reads court documents.
Through Lawyer Danstan Omari, Ocharo argues that it’s unlawful for the driver who is supposed to be on leave to pocket over Sh1 million per year in salary yet he has no specialised skills.
“This officer will continue earning over Sh1 million per annum for the next three years yet he holds a non-specialized skill job which is contrary to the law. This is differential treatment among employees based on ethnicity,” reads court documents.
Njoka has also been accused of discrimination in the matter of the driver by allegedly retaining the driver beyond the required 60 years he attained in December last year yet she retired the librarian on the same day.
Last month, one of the employees moved to court suing Njoka and KHNATCOM for unfair dismissal and accused her of removing him from the payroll even after the court ordered that his contract be extended.
The Activist says Njoka has attained the 60 years retirement age but she failed to disclose it to the board who renewed her contract.
Ocharo argues that Njoka has been at the helm of the commission for seven years since 2013 when she was appointed by the then CS Education who never followed the competitive procedures.
“In 2018 without disclosing to the Board that she was due for mandatory retirement upon attainment of sixty years with effect 3rd June 2020 she was offered another five-year term,” reads court documents.
Ocharo says during her reign as the commission, Njoka has been accused of engaging in so many unlawful actions mostly her second reign since 2018 has been dogged in so much controversy.
He says Njoka should not hold that office further alleging that the number of staff who have resigned in the last two years because of her is astounding.
“The level of internal hemorrhage, of staff in senior management who has resigned or are fighting for their rights through the courts within the last two years, is alarming and warrants immediate intervention,” Ocharo claims.