Defunct council retirees want Sh24m in pension

By Lawrence Aluru

Siaya, Kenya: Former employees of the defunct Siaya Municipal Council are demanding that the Siaya County Government pay their retirement arrears amounting to Sh24 million by.

The 31 former employees say they want to be paid their pension money dating back to1996.

Maurice Owaya, one of the retirees employed as a security officer in the municipality in 1982 said that he has not received a single cent since his retirement in 2000.

“I was employed in the municipal council in 1982 when it was still an urban centre. I retired in 2000 and I have not been paid my pension, which amounts to Sh320,000,” said Mr Owaya.

Beatrice Owala, a second year student at Maseno University said her deceased mother was an employee of the defunct municipal council and wants the money to pay her fees.

She said the county finance officer has been evading her whenever she goes to ask for her mother’s benefits.

“The finance officer has constantly engaged me in a cat and mouse game as he keeps on avoiding me by setting bouncing appointments. Whenever I go to his office, I do not find him,” she said.

The County Executive for Finance Cleophas Ombogo said the county government is aware of the issue but his office does not have the exact number of retirees affected.

Mr Ombogo told The Standard that his office is investigating why employees of the defunct Siaya municipality have not been paid while other municipalities have paid their retirees.

“The employees of other municipalities such as Ukwala, Yala, Bondo and Ugunja municipalities have already been paid their pension arrears,” he said.

Ombogo added that the matter was supposed to be handled by the Transitional Authority (TA), which had been given the mandate by the Auditor General to help find out the exact number of employees affected and the amount they are owed.

He said findings by the Auditor General would help determine which government will pay the retirees and the heirs of those who have died.

“The Transitional Authority was supposed to deal with the matter but they have directed the matter to the Auditor General’s office,” he clarified.

He also indicated that the sum demanded by the retirees is very high and might affect the normal operations of the county.

He however, promised that the funds would be paid in tranches to prevent the county operations from stalling.