A former cashier has moved to the industrial court in Nakuru demanding Sh7.5 million retirement benefits from a teachers’ Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Sacco).
Samuel Koech, a former employee of Kipsigis Teachers Savings and Credit Cooperative Society, wants the court to compel the Sacco to pay him the money.
Koech on Thursday told the court that his employer retired him on January 18 2012 and only gave him gratuity of Sh145,000 after he suffered from a stroke.
“The board of directors of the Sacco held a meeting and resolved to send me to earlier retirement as they claimed my ill health had affected my service delivery,” said Koech, who was testifying in court.
Koech further said that the management of the Sacco, which has since rebranded to Imarisha Savings and Credit Cooperative Society, issued him with a retirement letter but failed to award him the benefits for his 21-year service in the Sacco.
The former book keeper, who rose to the ranks of a senior managerial position, told Justice Byrum Ongaya that he was employed to work for the Sacco on August 8 1990.
Koech told the court that he suffered from paralysis in 2001 which adversely affected his service delivery. However, he said that his situation then did not guarantee the ‘rude sendoff’ he received.
Koech wants the court to order his former employee to pay him the amount which he maintains was part of his rightful benefits.
Defence lawyer John Tarus has dismissed the claims, saying that the claimant opted to retire himself following his ill health.
The case will be heard on October 20 this year.