The Nakuru industrial court has ordered Egerton University to pay Sh310,000 to former employees who sued the institution demanding damages for alleged wrongful dismissal.
Justice Byrum Ongaya on Friday ordered the university to pay the amount within 30 days after the workers moved to court claiming that their employment had been irregularly terminated.
“The court orders the university to pay Sh5,000 to each of the workers before September 1,” said Ongaya during the ruling.
The court further ordered the institution to prepare certificates of service for each of the employees to enable them secure meaningful employment elsewhere. Mr Ongaya also directed the university administration to compute annual leave allowances for each of the employees in regard to the employment period.
In their suit, the ex-employees had told the court that they were discriminated against and that they were not issued with any letter or notice for impending termination of their services and that they were denied fair hearing before being fired.
Earlier, the court heard that the 60 employees received notices before dismissal contrary to their claims that they were irregularly dismissed.
Japheth Okemwa, a human resource manager in the institution, told the court that the security guards were on a fixed contract which came to an end.
“The guards had signed a six months contract with Egerton University which came to an end and they were replaced,” said Okemwa.
However, a binding collective bargaining agreement produced in court by their lawyer, Hezron Onwong’a, between the institution and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels and Educational Institutions and allied Workers indicated that the employees were supposed to enjoy various benefits and allowances.
The workers through their union moved to court on June 17 2013 demanding compensation over wrongful dismissal, certificates of service and allowances and benefits they claimed they were entitled to.
The institution will also pay half the cost of the suit as directed by the court.