A Nairobi court has awarded 13 former employees of Kenya Power & Lightning Company Ksh135 million as compensation after being fired six years ago.
Justice Maureen Onyango awarded the 13 executives after the court determined that KPLC should have paid the employees a redundancy package after being fired.
The 13 employees – Raphael Njoroge Mwaura, Samuel Migwi Theuri, Mary Waeni Wambua, Anne Elizabeth Owuor, Charles Lwanga Ooko, Charles Thinwa Mathenge, Cleophas Simiyu Wekesa, Florence Kirimania Obura, Godfrey Kigarie Gathige, James Ngugi Njuguna, Joshua Kamau Mwangi, Nathaniel Waithaka Wanyagi and Samuel Njoroge Njogu. will each receive a constructive redundancy package of two months’ salary for each year they had worked.
The complainants moved to court after they were fired in 2015 following a reorganisation of the company’s management at the time.
The court heard that KPLC offered a voluntary early retirement plan to those who had not secured placements in the new structure – which prompted the 13 executives to apply for the Voluntary Early Retirement (VER).
In its ruling, however, the court stated that 13 had been subjected to undue pressure to apply for the VER since the retrenchment had targeted those in “senior management”.
The court also took issue with the fact that the employees only had only five days to make up their minds whether to take the VER or decline it – something that definitely put them under undue pressure.