The Government Must Respect Other Social Partners At The Nssf & The Role They Play

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions, COTU (K) supports the position taken by the Federation of Kenya Employers, FKE that the government should keep off making inflammatory utterances aimed at both the FKE and COTU (K) over the stand the two organizations have taken on the New National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Equally, the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services as cited by the FKE, should stop forthwith his unrelenting disobedience of the rule of law and the court process because despite the court having given orders for the reinstatement of both the FKE Executive Director Jacqueline Mugo and COTU(K) Secretary General Francis Atwoli to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Board of Trustees, he has persistently and with impunity defied the order and continues to convene the NSSF Board in the absence of the two.

It is unfortunate and regrettable that over one year since Hon. Kambi Kazungu was appointed to the Labour, Social Security and Services Ministry, he has continued to discharge his duties as a lone ranger and persistently at war with the rest of the Social Partners namely FKE and COTU (K) and we wonder if this man doesn’t see eye to eye with FKE nor COTU (K), whom is he serving at this Ministry that conventionally should be a Ministry for Employers and Workers?

However, COTU (K) was recently taken a back when the Deputy President insisted on the government pushing for the implementation of the New NSSF rates and terming those opposed to the rates as ignorant despite the existence of a valid court order. This is yet another height of impunity and whereas COTU (K) is restrained to discuss this matter that is now before the Court, the Deputy President should not lie to Kenyans that he doesn’t know the problems the Labour Sector in this country is facing under his Cabinet Secretary Kambi Kazungu.

In fact, the Deputy President’s utterances go to confirm that he is solely to blame for the woes in the sector and should stop forthwith playing to the gallery and pretending to draw a deaf ear over a matter he is deeply involved as the Deputy President and leader of the URP faction of the ruling Jubilee coalition.

However, COTU (K) is determined to continue executing its mandate to the Kenyan workers freely and independently while respecting the rule of law and if the likes of Kambi think that their continued patronage is the panacea for their impunity and survival, they will have to pay painfully for these ills no matter how long it will take!

Benson Okwaro
ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL