The ongoing geothermal drilling at Olkaria in Naivasha has been delayed after workers at a company involved in the exploration downed their tools.
More than 600 workers from H-Young Company paralysed operations for the fourth day running demanding to be paid their risk allowances. The workers accused the management of withholding their allowances even though they work in hazardous areas.
During the protest, irate workers blocked the busy Moi South Lake road and vowed not to return to work until all their grievances were adequately addressed.
One of the workers, Samuel Maweu, said the workers were promised to get their risk allowances last month but it has not happened.
“The project manager does not care for our health so long as the job is done. The steam has some poisonous gases and each time we have workers admitted in hospital for illnesses associated with them,” added Maweu.
Maweu added that the illnesses come due to the workers being subjected to work in the steam fields without proper protection.
Another worker, Mburu Muhuri, said the company had refused to implement the Comprehensive Bargaining Agreement that they signed when they began the project.
“This is a World Bank-funded project and we want the government and concerned authorities to come to our aid. The company promised to ensure workers’ safety when it was awarded the contract but this had not been done,” Muhuri said.
The workers were joined by the Olkaria member of county assembly Peter Pallang’a who called on the management to work on the workers plight and save its reputation.
Efforts to contact the management bore no fruit as our calls went unanswered as it emerged the management was in a meeting.