The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has rejected a proposal from Solicitor General Shadrack Mose to form an inter-ministerial committee aimed at resolving the prolonged compensation dispute involving former employees of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC).
The proposal, put forward by Mose, sought to involve the Ministries of Agriculture, Cooperatives and the National Treasury to audit and validate claims made by the ex-workers, many of whom were dismissed over two decades ago.
“The committee should be tasked to collate, audit, verify, authenticate, and validate the claims and recommend whether or not the same should be settled, and to what extent, within reasonable timelines,” Mose said.
However, his recommendation was firmly opposed by committee members, who argued that such an approach would introduce unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba, in rejecting the proposal, insisted that the Senate was well-equipped to handle the issue.
“Why should we constitute another committee?” Sen. Orwoba asked. “We have resolved pressing national matters within this very committee, including the concerns of tea farmers, and produced substantive reports.”
How much has government invested in New KCC?
She further highlighted the significant financial resources allocated to New KCC in recent months, citing the government’s investment of KSh 700 million towards the company’s modernisation and a subsequent KSh 1 billion to ensure prompt payments to farmers.
“Considering the resources already dedicated to New KCC, and the approximately KSh 200 million sought by the petitioners, why can’t we prioritise settling these dues?” Sen Orwoba pressed.
Sen. (Rtd.) Justice Stewart Madzayo, the Senate Minority Leader, drew parallels to previous Senate-led resolutions in labour disputes, notably the successful mediation between Kenya Railways and its pensioners under the Kenya Railways Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme.
“When this issue first began in 1997, these petitioners were young. Today, many are advanced in age. If we apply the same approach we used for Kenya Railways, we can achieve a swift resolution,” Sen. Madzayo observed.
Vice-chairman of the committee, Sen. George Mbugua, expressed frustration over the extended delays, stressing the urgency of the matter.
“Some of the petitioners have already passed on while waiting for justice. We cannot allow this to drag on any further,” Sen. Mbugua stated, calling for a clear timeline to bring the matter to a close.
Committee Chairperson Sen. Julius Murgor announced the Committee’s resolution to convene a Senate-led meeting with all relevant stakeholders on 14th October 2024, in a renewed effort to resolve the longstanding dispute.
The Solicitor General acknowledged the prolonged delays in addressing the petitioners’ grievances and expressed his support for the Senate-led approach to broker a settlement.
“I am in agreement that an expeditious way of dealing with this matter is best. The Office of the Attorney General shall not be a bottleneck but will be available to help bring this matter to a conclusion,” Mose assured.
