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Employers also risk being reported to the department of immigration if their domestic workers are of foreign origin and are in the country illegally/FELIX MAGARA

Kenya

NSSF warns of fines over domestic workers’ dues

Employers also risk being reported to the department of immigration if their domestic workers are of foreign origin and are in the country illegally/FELIX MAGARA

Employers also risk being reported to the department of immigration if their domestic workers are of foreign origin and are in the country illegally/FELIX MAGARA

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 16 – You risk being fined Sh15,000 if you do not allow National Social Security Fund (NSSF) agents into your home to verify your domestic workers are registered under the pension scheme.

Those with domestic workers under the age of 18 also risk legal action, NSSF Managing Trustee Tom Odongo said Wednesday: “When we visit households there are people who will tell us that this one is my relative, I’m living with them. The law says all kids of school going age must be in school. Free primary education is also part of social security.”

Employers also risk being reported to the department of immigration if their domestic workers are of foreign origin and are in the country illegally.

“We only engage expatriates for skills that are not available locally. But if you feel that your house girl has so much skill that you have to import a house girl from Uganda or Tanzania, kindly register them with immigration. Get them alien certificates, get them work permits and have them registered.”

Odongo has called on employers to register their domestic workers on the NSSF website www.nssf.or.ke before Madaraka Day (June 1) to avoid repeat visits when the door-to-door verification exercise begins.

“If we find your employee is not registered and the Sh400 has not been remitted, we will leave a letter at your door step. The letter will give you a notice of seven days to register that employee and to make that payment. We will then come back after seven days to verify that you’ve since registered the said employee,” Odongo explained.

Employers who fail to register their domestic workers and remit the Sh400 will be penalised to the tune of Sh20,000 Odongo said: “I want to make it very clear that we have enough compliance officers and prosecutors, we will not look for Kenya Police to have you arrested.”

Odongo explained that the Sh400 can be remitted using the mobile money transfer mechanism M-PESA, “Go online. Resister your employee, the system will give you a number. Then you enter M-PESA paybill number 333300. It will ask you for your NSSF account number so enter your employees account number.”

Employers are required to pay Sh200 of the Sh400 monthly remittance and deduct the balance from their domestic worker.

“Morally, if you feel you can pay the Sh400 let it be an additional benefit for your member of staff,” Odongo urged.

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The NSSF agents who move from home to home will wear NSSF branded shirts, travel in NSSF branded vehicles and carry NSSF identification cards to keep imposters from taking advantage of the campaign. “We will not come to your premises at night. We will come to your premises during working hours,” Odongo said.

The Sh400 monthly remittance will go up to Sh960 if the National Social Security Pension Trust Bill, 2012 becomes law.

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