Employees of Kericho Water and Sanitation Company (KEWASCO) joined the wave of protests across the country by launching a strike demanding action over unpaid salaries exceeding 13 months. They also accuse MD Erick Kibii Siele Chepkwon of mismanagement.
Regarding the KEWASCO issue posted on X yesterday, July 16, 2024, by Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi, an insider provided more information regarding the staff’s concerns.
1. For the past fourteen months, employees have not paid salary arrears.
2. The company has not adhered to the Senate Committee’s recommendation of March 23, 2023, which found the Managing Director unfit to run the company, nor has it implemented the full restructuring.
3. The Kericho County Assembly has not fully implemented its recommendations.
4. The Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) has ranked KEWASCO 17th out of 18 large water companies due to mismanagement, both financially and technically. As a result, customers’ deposits were withdrawn to fund operations.
5. Employees have been on strike since June 28, 2024, demanding the clearing of salary arrears, pension remittances (amounting to over 100 million), bank loan deductions, and bank and Sacco share remittances (amounting to over 60 million).
6. The staff is also demanding a forensic audit and the public release of the Auditor General’s most recent audit report.