NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 20 – The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nakuru has halted national elections of the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA), a labour union representing workers in hospitality, domestic services, educational institutions, hospitals and allied sectors.
The court issued conservatory orders freezing the polls following a petition citing alleged violations of the union’s constitution and claims of intimidation targeting aspirants for the Secretary-General position.
Lawyer Tonge Yoya, who filed the petition, argued that the electoral process had been fundamentally compromised.
“Mr Njeru decided on his own violation to call for national elections on February 28th which is against the KUDHEIHA constitution and registrar which stipulates that all the 36 KUDHEIHA regional branches shall nominate two delegates for the national elections voting which is scheduled for April 1st to June 30th 2026,” said Yoya.
He added: “We have written to Mr Njeru requesting that he share the names of those delegates to enable us campaign but he bluntly refused. He continues to intimidate other candidates who are vying for the position of secretary general and other positions.”
The petition places current Secretary-General Albert Njeru at the centre of the dispute, accusing him of failing to adhere to constitutional provisions and withholding key electoral information. Efforts to obtain his comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
The matter is set for mention on March 12, 2026, with the union’s national electoral process remaining suspended until further directions.
