Mavoko Sub-county has sacked all its casuals formerly at its Solid Waste Department for re absorption as new staff on contracts for improved service delivery and better terms and conditions of work.
This was disclosed by the sub county administrator, Moses Muthusi, who said the transition was a directive from the Machakos County Governor, Dr. Alfred Mutua, in a bid of making the employees engagements' more secure, binding and better. "Mavoko sub county no longer has casual workers at the Solid Waste Department since there is transition from casual to contracting of employees at the department," said Muthusi. Muthusi said the county government resolved to laying off of the workers as long term solution to a number of challenges that the employees faced prompting them to down their tools. Addressing the press in his office in Athi River town yesterday, the sub county administrator said they had paid all the 80 employees who allegedly protested their delayed salaries all their salaries for months of October, November and December 2014, hence sorting out the workers salaries debts. Muthusi said none of the employees went on streets during the recent demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday this week claiming they were hired goons. "The investigations carried out by our intelligents and photos taken during the demonstrations show that there are no workers who participated on the demonstrations but hired goons on the streets," claimed Muthusi. He said the demonstrations were politically instigated by the Athi River Member of County Assembly, Michael Mutua, whom he claimed mobilized the goons for personal interests and reasons best known to him. Muthusi disclosed that most of the then casuals at the department had sent regret letters distancing themselves from the protests, castigating them and requesting to be engaged on contracts in the new system. He disputed allegations that the casuals were all fired due to recent protests arguing none of the workers would be victimized for exercising their constitutional rights of participating in peaceful demonstrations. While contacted by Hivi sasa reporter, Mutua, admitted responsibility of being behind the protests and vowed he would not stop helping oppressed workers in Athi River to agitate for their employment rights. Mutua accused the sub county's management and entire Machakos County Government of sacking legitimate workers of Mavoko Sub-county, replacing them with what he termed as ghost workers. "Machakos County government in its etirety is corrupt, how comes that instead of engaging workers who have been casuals under parthetic terms and conditions of work for long, its sacking them for replacement with people from no where this time when they are being contracted under better terms and conditions of work," argued Mutua. Muthusi urged the sub county employees to decist from being politivcally misused and serve accordingly stating that politics and development were different things.