Employees from Kenya Power have threatened to go on strike over the planned mass retrenchments that are targetting 20% of the staff.
The power company is planning to layoff 20% of its employees, more so the aging majority. For instance, the retrenchment program is expected to begin in May this year and will go on until June 2023.
Confirming the same, Kenya Power supplies acting Chief Executive Officer Rosemary Oduor said there will be a voluntary phase that will target about 1,962 elderly employees across the country. They will then be replaced by 830 younger ones.
“The company, because of low attrition rate, has an ageing and expensive workforce resulting in staff cost growing at nearly twice the rate of revenue growth,” Oduor is quoted by Citizen.
Read: Gov’t Forms Team To Vet All Kenya Power Employees In Clean Up Exercise
In November last year, the government constituted a Vetting Cluster Team to appraise all Kenya Power employees in a cleanup exercise meant to streamline services at the state agency.
In a memo, KPLC asked all staffers to disclose personal information such as bank statements, assets, liabilities, and employment details to help the team carry out the vetting exercise.
Cecilia Kalungu – Uvyu, the Kenya Power General Manager, HR and Administration, said the vetting exercise is in line with recommendations made by a Taskforce appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to review the company’s purchase agreements.
Read Also: 6 Kenya Power Employees Arrested Over Power Blackouts Freed Unconditionally
The information sought included: Employment particulars of the officer (Full Names, Identity Card Number, Passport Number, Pin Number, Driving License Number, Mobile Telephone number, Daytime Telephone Number, Email); Residential address(es) of the officer and spouse(s) for the last five years, ownership status of current residence; Power/water meter numbers, any other utility account numbers and many others.
Further, the employees were required to disclose businesses they own, control, or those managed by immediate family members that have had commercial dealings with KPLC.
The Presidential Taskforce was established in March 2021 to address the high cost of electricity for both individual consumers and enterprises.
The Taskforce submitted its recommendations to the Head of State in September, last year.
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