County casuals transition to permanent status
The Nyandarua County Government has hired all the 172 casual employees on permanent and pensionable terms.
During the campaigns for the position, Governor Kiarie Badilisha had promised to engage the casual workers on permanent and pensionable terms if he won the seat.
The workers said they had waited for more than 10 years to be confirmed.
Wesley Muthi Momanyi, who works at the Department of Trade as a cleaner at Ol Kalou market, said their dignity as workers would be restored.
“We have had a lot of challenges in the past ranging from underpayment to delay of salaries. We have been going through tough life and some have even quit,” Momanyi said.
“Our life will change because we can now approach a bank and get a loan to improve our lives,” he added.
Another worker Hellen Wangari Chege from North Kinangop said she has been a casual worker since 2004.
“I have worked for 19 years as a casual labourer. We have been promised ‘gold’ for the longest time and finally received it,” said Wangari.
Samwel Chege from Njambini said they had been having problems with some of their supervisors but that now will be a thing of the past.
Initially, according to Mwangi, some supervisors would deduct the casual workers’ working days without consulting the employees.
The workers were absorbed in job groups between B and L. Those aged below 49 will serve under permanent and pensionable terms while those above 50 years will continue working at contract terms until they attain retirement age.
Those who have already attained the retirement age will be given one-year non-renewable contracts according to the County Public Service Board chairman William Gatehi.
