Vocational Trainers in Murang’a protest over delayed salaries

Murang’a, Thursday, 18, May, 2023

KNA by Anita Omwenga

Vocational trainers from various vocational training centers in Murang’a want the county government to pay their salary.

Speaking during a peaceful protest on Wednesday in Ihura stadium in Murang’a town, the casual trainers protested over delayed salaries for five months threatening to ground all operations at the training institutions.

The trainers claim they were last paid in November 2022 and currently they have no official communication when their wages will be released and that they have been struggling to raise money to cater for basic needs.

Daniel Njoroge, a vocational trainer in one of the center said that they have been on duty for the last five months and are yet receive their salaries.

“Our last payment was made in November last year, since then we have not been able to pay rent, bills and we are almost getting choked by debts” said Njoroge adding that what they really need is for the county government to pay them their wages.

He said that some of them have families who depend on them to provide basic needs and the delayed salaries have led to family breakups.

“We are living in rental houses and landlords are not at peace with us. Some of our houses have been locked and others have been auctioned,” he said, adding that this is disheartening and the matters should be addressed with immediate effect.

Njoroge further added that another challenge they are facing is the nature of their terms of employment. Majority of the trainers have been rendering services to the vocational training centers for more than seven years under the county government as casuals.

He said it was unfortunate that there are trainers who have been casuals for more than ten years.

“The county government had promised to absorb us into employment on a permanent and pensionable basis from May this year,” he said, adding that they have not received any communication regarding the issue up to now.

“We would like to have clarity who we are as of now and who our employer is. The terms of service should be streamlined because we are losing our patience” he further stated.

The County Secretary Dr. Newton Mwangi who listened to the trainers grievances promised that their demands will be settled in due time.

Lucy Wanjiku, another trainer, lamented that there is no assurance that they will get payment, as the county government is not giving out any communication about the delay of payment of their salaries. 

“Of late, the responsible office has been mute. No information from the government as to why we have not been paid our wages for the last five months” said Wanjiku requesting those concerned to hasten the process as they have been subjected to suffering.

Wanjiku said that they would wish the government to communicate whether they are still employees or not so that they can know their next move.

Kennedy Mungai another trainer said that he has been a trainer for almost ten years now and that in those years he has been receiving his salary up until up until five months ago when he experienced a delay.

“We are requesting our governor, Dr. Irungu Kangata to look into the issue of our delayed salary and provide a way forward in terms of our state of employment,” he said.  

Courtesy; K.N.A