Over 750 Kemri/CDC employees face sack

Controversy over a multi-billion shillings medical research project in the country deepened Wednesday after 750 employees in Kisumu and Nairobi were given dismissal notices.

The employees of Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) have been given A one-month sack notice (until end of May). The employer has cited financial difficulties.

The worst-affected employees are from the Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) and International Emerging Infections Programme (IEIP) in the Kemri’s Collaboration Agreement. KEMRI is currently battling graft allegations.

Atlanta-based CDC, which funds nearly 98 per cent of KEMRI’s programmes, is currently investigating the research body over the loss of more than Sh7.2 billion ($80 million) in research funds.

The development could deal medical research in the country a body blow given that the KEMRI/CDC public health research colloboration is the largest in Kenya. Wednesday, Kemri Director Solomon Mpoke confirmed the sackings, but declined to divulge more details citing ongoing investigations.

“I know some workers have been given notice to leave, but these are part of issues under investigations at Kemri which I may not be able to fully divulge,” Prof Mpoke said.

Low morale

Mpoke promised to get back to us with full details on the retrenchment and its impact on Kemri/CDC operations, but had not done so by the time of going to press.

According to the affected workers, operations at CDC in Kisumu have almost grounded to a halt due to low morale and lack of resources.

“Everything is now near standstill,” said one worker, who requested not to be named for fear of further victimisation.

He added, “People come to report and then leave. Others even use the institution’s resources for their personal businesses due to frustration.”

Another worker revealed the employees would be going to court to seek redress for unfair dismissal. “We cannot take this lying down because we are convinced we are being unfairly victimised,” he said.

CDC and KEMRI are currently involved in more than 200 research projects both in Nairobi and Kisumu, with over 3,500 employees.

The American-based research organisation funds more than 40 malaria, HIV and tuberculosis research programmes in Kisumu alone.

The HDSS programme is responsible for collecting demographic and socio-economic data such as death, birth and pregnancies in Nyanza and Western regions. IEIP, on the other hand, is the agency’s most visible programme for developing and strengthening global capacity to identify and rapidly respond to emerging infections.