Detectives sue KRA over breach of contract, ask for compensation

Kenya Revenue Authority headquarters, Times Tower Building, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Four Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers have sued Kenya Revenue Authority over alleged breach of contract.

In their case filed before the Employment and Labour Relations Court, Victor Odhiambo, Ronah Omache, Guyo Halakhe and Margaret Njoka say their contracts with KRA as Investigations and Enforcements officers were terminated without explanation on January 31.

Their lawyers Muma and Kanjama Advocates say although KRA ended the contracts it never gave them the reason for it and did not invite them for a hearing if they had done anything wrong.

"Before the lapse of the respective contractual periods, the petitioners and affected officers were issued with notices of termination of secondment dated January 31, 2023, and signed by the Deputy Commissioner - Human Resource of the respondent without giving any justification or reason for the said termination," they say.

According to their lawyers, the sudden move by KRA has put them at crossroads as they had already taken up loans using the new salaries. KRA has its own unit of investigation.

According to the officers, they applied for the positions before they left the National Police Service for secondment. The termination letters, they claim redeployed them back to the Police Service.

"The petitioners and the affected parties vide a notice dated February 17, 2023, have been redeployed to the National Police Service in various stations in similar ranks that they served before the secondment. This has occasioned serious cost implications previously not budgeted for such as sudden relocation to new workstations and double payment of rent.

"The letter of termination was suddenly received by the petitioners. It affected officers who had no expectation of such an untimely unilateral decision that has since subjected them to a difficult financial situation requiring them to cope with a sudden new way of life due to reduced pay," their court papers read in part.

They accuse KRA of unfair labour practices, adding that they were neither offered a reason nor made aware of any complaints.

They are seeking 12 months' compensation, health cover for one year, relocation cost equivalent to one month's pay, and compensation for the 30 working days they have accrued this year. They also want compensation for the alleged illegal termination of their contracts.