Chaos erupted at the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company on Thursday morning after employees staged a demonstration outside the company’s premises over poor pay and what they term as uncooperative management.
The 250 employees decried poor pay, non-remittance of various deductions from their salaries to organizations including their medical insurance cover, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and union dues. They also cited a poor environment to carry out their duties.
The employees blocked the entrance of the company’s building that hosts the offices with company vehicles.
The protestors blamed the police for disrupting their peaceful march by throwing teargas and shooting in the air.
“We need to address some burning issues with MAWASCO and we were to have a meeting with directors but we could not agree on issues instead they ordered the police to use tear gas on non-violent protestors to disperse us and a canister hit and injured one of us,” a protester said.
Another protester told journalists that since 2018, the company deducted their money but never remitted.
Mr Omar Said, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water and Sanitation turned up to listen to their demands, had to break into the premises where board members had been locked up by the protesting employees.
The CECM said that he tried to listen to their grievances but they turned him away in protest.
He promised to find a way to solve the issues as long as they will grant him a chance.
“I tried to talk to them but they refused but what I have heard from the board is that they were complaining about job promotion and I will get their side of the story so that we have a common ground,” he said.
He condemned the protesters for blocking the entrance of MAWASCO premises, saying that all those involved will be penalized.
Said assured Malindi residents that water provision services will not be disrupted and that the County government was expanding and replacing old water pipelines with modern and large capacity pipes.
