Nakuru senator embroiled in employment dispute with 17 staff

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has appointed three Members of Parliament to hear an employment dispute between Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja and 17 of her employees.

Wetang’ula, through the Clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyegenye, announced that MPs Rachel Ameso, Faith Gitau, and Senator Johnson Muthama will serve on the Arbitration Panel.

In a letter dated November 6, 2024, addressed to the senator and the 17 employees, the Speaker explained that the panel was formed following a complaint lodged by the senator's office staff on October 24, 2024.

“The appointment is pursuant to clause 9 of the Employment Contracts between employees of the Nakuru Senate Office and the Senator, Nakuru County, of various dates, and the complainants' letter,” Wetang’ula stated.

Wetang’ula, who chairs the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), confirmed that the panel would hear and resolve the dispute, contacting both the staff and Keroche for further details.

The letter, signed by Nyegenye, was also copied to PSC Secretariat Director Noor Ghalgan.

The complaint was filed by the employees on October 24, 2024, who sought the Speaker's intervention over an alleged breach of contract. The employees had written to the Clerk on several occasions, seeking resolution of various issues. A letter signed by 14 employees expressed their frustration at the delays: "We are disappointed that it has taken longer than we had anticipated," the letter read.

Among the staff's concerns were allegations of underpayment, with some employees reportedly receiving as little as Sh11,000 per month instead of the contracted Sh25,000. They also claimed they had not been paid for several months.

The employees further accused the office of wrongful terminations, stating that some staff were dismissed on unfounded grounds and without due process. They alleged that terminations were carried out by the office manager rather than the Senator, who is the employer.

The staff also raised concerns about unprofessional conduct and mistreatment of female employees in the senator’s office. "Our salaries have been withheld, and we are not receiving payments, yet we have never received termination letters. Our names are still listed on the payroll submitted to PSC," they wrote.

Some employees whose contracts had been terminated claimed they were coerced into clearing with the office and had yet to receive their dues.

The staff expressed their frustration, claiming that efforts to get the senator’s attention had been futile. "Because of her insincerity and lack of goodwill, we seek your intervention," they wrote, warning of potential legal action if the arbitration panel was not appointed.

Before the joint letter, employee Nancy Wanjama had raised a similar concern in a letter to the PSC on September 18, 2024. Wanjama, who was hired as a gardener on October 1, 2022, for a 60-month contract, claimed to have received a backdated termination letter without any explanation for her dismissal.

In a letter dated September 17, 2024, Senator Keroche shifted the blame to the Nakuru County Manager, stating that her office had received multiple complaints from former employees, members of the public, and institutions since the manager's appointment.

She requested legal advice on the management of her office, highlighting that termination letters had not been issued to former employees. She noted that this failure had resulted in some terminated employees continuing to work and accruing salary arrears. Additionally, the manager had failed to update the employee register and forward it to the liaison office.

The senator also reported issues with payroll management, claiming that the mismanagement had led to salary consolidation, where one person’s salary was split to pay two individuals.