Sossion: We'll vote Jubilee out in 2017

An umbrella workers’ union has announced that workers will vote against the Government in 2017.

The Trade Unions Congress Kenya (TUC-Ke) accused the Government of tolerating rampant corruption cases within its ranks, citing the current scandal at the Devolution ministry.

The union officials who addressed a news conference at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu Monday said the Government has been keen on arm-twisting workers, citing the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal on teachers  50-60 per cent salary increase as influence by the Executive.

TUC-Ke’s General Secretary Wilson Sossion hit out at the Jubilee government over corruption and told President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the entire Cabinet.

“The President must take a bold step, dismiss the Cabinet and reconstitute one that can help run his Government effectively and smoothly without corruption,” said Sossion.

He added: “He must appoint Kenyans who are above board to help him manage the Government.”

Sossion said Kenyan workers feel let down by the Government and that in 2017, the labour fraternity will vote as a bloc to kick out Jubilee.

“We are not going to be observers in 2017. We are telling all the Wanjikus that we can’t sit and see you suffer with heavy taxation while a few elected people sit there just to steal. That’s why as a labour movement, we are announcing today that all workers will come together and vote for real change in this beautiful country,” said Sossion.

He challenged President Kenyatta to break silence and ask Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to step aside following the unending corruption saga in her docket.

“Waiguru is not a special Kenyan who must keep on seeing through the failures of the ministry and that’s why we are today joining other like-minded Kenyans to ask her to step aside,” he said.

TUC-Kenya Vice Chair Charles Mukhwaya said the union was perturbed by the manner in which teachers’ pay rise was handled and said the matter now proceeds to the International Labour Organisation(ILO).

“The ruling on the teachers’ 50-60 per cent pay rise was by utter influence of the Government and indeed, we did not expect any favourable judgement after things had taken that twist.

That’s why we are now forced to wash our dirty linen as far as going to the ILO,” he said.