Government responds to reports of firing over 5,000 workers
Government responds to reports of firing over 5,000 workers
The government has dismissed reports that more than 5,000 Kenyans working in the sugarcane industry are set to be sent home in the ongoing leasing of public sugar mills to private investors.
The developments come after the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) under the leadership of its Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, wrote to the Labour Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutu, condemning the planned sackings of sugar workers while urging the government to focus on expanding employment opportunities rather than shrinking them.
Kenya Sugar Board Chairperson Nicholas Gumbo on Monday sought to allay the fears, revealing that 80 per cent of the sugar workers will be retained as mills revive, with the government finalising the plans to lease the public sugar mills to private investors.
According to Gumbo, 80 per cent of the current workforce will be absorbed by private millers, while the remaining 20 per cent who are currently due for retirement will be gradually phased out in line with retirement benefits settlements.
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Gumbo maintained that the decision to lease the public mills to the private sector will unlock more opportunities for more Kenyans, owing to the modernisation efforts that they are set to undergo.
”Once these mills run at full capacity, sugar production is expected to double to 1.6 million tonnes annually, positioning Kenya as a potential net exporter of sugar,” Gumbo said.
”Truth is, a majority of the workers are more than 50 years who should be retiring anyway. However, we will ensure that they get all their dues and pensions before they are released,”
He, however, defended the decision to lease the companies, saying that they have not made profits in the last 30 years and therefore the only way to make them beneficial would be to lease them to private investors.
Meanwhile, COTU and other unions had issued a warning against sidelining employees and threatening industrial action if the said redundancy notices take effect on October 31, 2025.
Additionally, many of the workers have also been demanding the settlement of Ksh5 billion in salary and allowance arrears before any transition.
”It is deeply concerning that the Ministry, whose central mandate is employment creation, would convene a meeting to discuss redundancy at a time when the unemployment crisis in our country is acute. As COTU (K), we believe that it is through the Ministry of Labour that we can collectively support His Excellency the President in generating meaningful employment, particularly for the growing number of young people leaving institutions of learning in search of work,” read part of a letter signed by COTU in protest of the decision.
”COTU (K) therefore respectfully declines to participate in the proposed meeting on redundancy, and instead calls for urgent consultations on strategies to expand employment opportunities in line with the Ministry’s founding mission.”
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