Drama ensued at Mavoko sub-county Administrative office on Wednesday when former casuals at the sub-county's Department of Environmental Sanitation and Solid Waste Materials confronted newly recruited staff at the department.
The more than 80 employees who had been allegedly sacked early this year after holding a protest to demand payments of their four months pending wages reported to the office early that morning to inquire their fate as far as their job positions were concerned.
The workers who had been in charge of cleaning the entire sub-county before they were laid off told the press they had been subjected to job interviews some time last month and were waiting for results only to see strangers do the jobs in Athi River town.
The workers spokesperson, Kimutai Arap Kosgey, former employee said they had been employed by Machakos County government for the last one and a half years only to be sacked via phone.
"This is inhuman, we have been serving the county government cleaning the entire town under pathetic conditions," said Kosgey.
An SMS that was allegedly circulated to the casuals through (0711 333 986) reads, "Kindly stop all casuals immediately."
The workers said by the time they were told to wait after engaging in the protests, the county government had their pending arrears of one year and two weeks.
They disclosed they received payments of their December wages on Tuesday, but demanded to be reinstated in their positions claiming it was unfair for strangers to be hired to enjoy benefits that were rightfully theirs.
The former employees who claimed most of the newly recruited staff under the county government's new contract scheme were not residents of the sub-county but imported from the neighbouring counties.
They in solidarity warned the new recruits who reported to work on Tuesday not to dare taking up the positions, threatened to attack them if they defy them.
The recruits for fear of being attacked retreated and went back home avoiding arguments with the agitated group of the former casuals who threatened to conduct a protest alongside attacking the new staffs.
Athi River Township MCA Michael Mutua condemned the incident terming it unconstitutional arguing it was unfair for the county government to lay off the casuals for interests of non-residents.
Mutua said the constitution demands that the lowest jobs which do not need education such as cleaning should be given to locals.
"Mavoko sub-county residents want their daughters and sons who were doing the job to be reinstated as natives of the area we will not allow people from other regions to take jobs of the locals," said Mutua.
He told the new recruits not to be duped to start working through SMS and phone calls threatening not to approve their payments as the Chairman of devolved units at Machakos County Assembly.
Mutua said the locals needed to be given priorities in employment and those from other regions be considered only on extra vacancies.