‘Please pay us our dues,’ ANC agents plead with Mudavadi
Agents recruited by the Amani National Congress (ANC) party in the just-ended general election are now pleading with the party leadership to settle their dues.
The agents, the majority of who are from Tongaren Constituency, Bungoma County, are now asking party leader Musalia Mudavadi to intervene and have their payments released.
In their pre-election agreement, the agents say they were required to send the final results from their respective polling stations to Ben Chekwanda’s parallel tallying centre, which was established within the Constituency.
The party was to cater for the agents' transport, lunch and airtime to enable them to work but none of the agents was facilitated, hence could not effectively deliver.
Those who spoke to People Daily Digital on conditions of anonymity for fear of being victimized said they had no airtime to send the results since they had been promised airtime allowance in time, a promise that did not materialize.
The hundreds of agents are now accusing Tongaren MP aspirant Ben Chekwanda of siphoning their dues.
Chekwanda, however, insists that only agents who were at work on Tuesday, August 9, were to be paid.
“Everyone who worked will be paid. So far Soysambu Naitiri/Kabuyefwe and Milima Ward should have gotten their payment,” Chekwanda said.
However, the agents said they worked and signed the agents' form but some did not send the results as directed since they had not received their airtime as promised.
“I left my young child to be at the polling station by 5:00 am on Tuesday, August 9 to 3:00 am on Wednesday, August 10, only to be told we didn’t work,” one of the agents said.
In a WhatsApp group, Chekwanda directed the agents to get in touch with their respective MCA candidates on ANC party ticket.
“For Tabani, we have already released your pay but for Mbakalo and Nairiti Kabuyefwe ward agents get in touch with your MCA candidates Joseph and Satia respective,” Chekwanda said.
It later emerged that not all the wards in Tongaren Constituency fielded ANC aspirants in the August 9, elections.
“I took time finding ANC agents in Soysambu Mitua ward because the party did not have an aspirant in this ward. Chekwanda promised to give me my pay but up to now, my friends and I are yet to receive our pay,” another party agent said.
It has, howver, emerged that the majority of the aspirants on ANC ticket failed to win the seats and have since switched off their phones.
Reached for comments, the communication director in the office of the ANC party on Monday, September 19, said he was not aware and that we get finer details from the party Secretary General.
“You can find out with Secretary Genera. Thanks,” ANC communication director told People Daily Digital in a text message.
However, by the time of going to press, ANC Secretary General Simon Kamau had not responded to our text messages.
