Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with petrol station workers/X
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has painted a grim picture of the state of Kenyan workers as the country marks its 60th Labour Day.
In a strongly worded message, Gachagua said workers are enduring “unspeakable pain, anguish, and utter frustration,” blaming the government for the deteriorating conditions.
“We know no Kenyan worker is happy, and what to wish them such is only additional pain,” he said.
He cited high taxes, a rising cost of living, and what he called the misuse of public funds.
“The payslip has been raided for uncouth cause, cost of living skyrockets unbearably and zero money in circulation as the powers that be trot the globe using public resources,” he said.
Gachagua assured workers that better days lie ahead.
“My message to the Kenyan workers as we mark Labour Day is that as they struggle to make ends meet, they should take comfort that this situation is not permanent.”
"I assure you that we are a team of patriotic men and women not sleeping, working on strategies to do away with misery, pain, and indignation; we shall restore the dignity of the payslip. God willing, we shall get there," he added.
This year’s Labour Day and Diamond Jubilee celebrations were celebrated at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi.
The celebrations, organised by the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU-K), commemorated 60 years of championing workers’ rights in Kenya.
This year's event carried a special significance as it marked both the annual Labour Day and the organisation's 60th anniversary—its Diamond Jubilee.
