An Employment and Labor Relations Court has stopped Nairobi County from the intended recruitment of employees and conducting interviews scheduled for November 25 to December 2021.
Hon Lady Justice Stella Chemtai Ruto has suspended the move by the county to recruit staff pending the hearing and determination of an application filed in court.
“The Respondents are hereby restrained from proceeding with the intended recruitment of employees and from conducting interviews specifically scheduled from November 25 to December 21, 2021,” reads the orders in parts.
The orders were issued after a successful application by two Kenya County Government workers Kennedy Malimo and Amos Otwal who are Assistant fire Officers in Nairobi County through their lawyer Sam Kariuki against the Nairobi County Government.
Lady Justice Chemtai at the same time directed the Applicant to serve the Application upon the County before the closing of business on November 25, 2021.
The workers have contested that Nairobi County is embarking on recruitment contrary to the Memorandum of Agreement dated February 5, 2020, between the Workers Union and the Nairobi County.
They added that in the aforesaid agreement, it has been agreed that Nairobi County would undertake an analysis on promotions, stagnation and right placement.
They added that many workers in the County have worked for decades without job analysis and or promotions.
The workers are calling on the Nairobi County Public Service Board to first look inward and audit its workforce/human resource before embarking on an expensive exercise of recruiting and training new staff.
Lawyer Sam Kariuki added that the two applicants have been employees of Nairobi County and they haven’t been promoted for the last decade.
“Both Malimo and Otwal are seeking to be enjoined in the Petition, “added Kariuki.
The matter is scheduled for Mention on Monday, November 29 when the court is expected to issue further directions.
The interviews were scheduled to run from 25th November 2021 to 21st December 2021. The Nairobi County will have to be patient until the court makes a determination of the matter.
Kariuki says that Malimo has been an employee of Nairobi County for more than 30years while Otwal has served Nairobi County for more than 25 years.
Kenya County Government Workers Union is also an applicant in this matter against the County and its Public Service Board.
The two applicants made an application in the case that had been filed by the union on July 30, 2021, and the orders have been granted in that application.
*This article was written by Meshack Makau for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
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