Court allows Atwoli, Mugo back to NSSF board

NAIROBI, KENYA: Industrial Court on Monday suspended notice by Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi removing COTU’s Francis Atwoli and FKE's Jacqueline Mugo from NSSF board pending outcome of a case filed by COTU boss.

Industrial court judge Monicah Mbaru issued the orders after Francis Atwoli sued Kazungu Kambi over the move to de gazette him and Jacqueline Mugo from the Fund’s board.

In the case filed by Atwoli's lawyer Judith Guserwa, Atwoli says that Kambi did not notify them as mandated in the constitution and that the move will expose workers' funds.

He wants the court to Halt all meetings by the board pending the hearing and determination of the case. Moreover, the Atwoli wants the notice by Kambi quashed.

Meanwhile an activist Charles Omanga has moved to court through an application to set a side the gazette notice that removed Francis Atwoli and Jackline Mugo from National Social Security Fund  (NSSF) Board of Trustee.

Omanga says that the Cabinet Secretary of Labour Kazungu Kambi published the notice unconstitutionally, he said the CS does not have the capacity to remove the two leaders of workers unions from National Social Security Fund board.

“The two leaders were seconded by their respective unions to the board and are legally elected officials and are the only ones mandated to sit on the board,” he said adding that Kambi could have written to Central Organisation of Trade Unions COTU and Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) if he felt that Atwoli and Mugo had overstayed in the board so that the union could decide.