NYANDARUA, Kenya, Jan 11 – Casual workers in Nyandarua have expressed their happiness after being confirmed to be permanent and pensionable employees by the county government.
After being issued their confirmation letters, the casual workers thanked the current Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha for making the promise true.
Governor Badilisha had promised to engage the casual workers on permanent and pensionable terms during his campaign last year.
The workers said that they have waited for over 10 years to be confirmed since the advent of devolution in 2013.
The age gap of casual workers ranges between 25 years to the oldest being 64 years old.
Wesley Muthi Momanyi who works at the department of trade as a cleaner of Ol Kalou market said now their dignity as workers would be restored.
“We have had a lot of challenges in the past years ranging from underpayment to delay of payment. We have been going through tough life some have quit and others have gone through natural attrition,” Momanyi said.
“Today I am happy because the Governor has given us the permanent and pensionable letters. Our life shall change because we can approach the bank and get a loan to improve our lives,” said Momanyi.
He added that some workers had gotten into depression because of poor pay and lack of motivation at the workstations.
Another worker Hellen Wangari Chege from North Kinangop says she has been a casual worker since 2004.
She said that in all her working years she has never felt appreciated before than she felt after being confirmed as a permanent and pensionable employee.
“I have worked for 19 years as a casual labourer. We have been promised ‘gold’ for the longest time and finally received it. Our salary will eventually improve because we are going a job grade higher,” said Wangari.
On his side, Samwel Mwangi Chege from Njambini in Nyandarua said that they had been having issues with some of their supervisors but that now will be a bygone as the supervisors now will have to be following the laid procedures in laying off the employees in case of disagreements.
Initially, according to Mwangi, some supervisors would deduct the casual workers’ working days without consulting the employees and they would not complain to anyone.
Late last week, the County government of Nyandarua employed 172 casual workers on permanent and pensionable terms.
The workers were absorbed in job groups between B and L. Those aged below 49 will serve under permanent and pensionable terms while those above 50 years will continue working at contract terms until they attain retirement age.
Those who have already attained the retirement age will be given one-year non-renewable contracts according to the County Public Service Board chairman William Gatehi.
