NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 13 — Workers at Mumias Sugar Company on Thursday protested delays in payment of salaries even as they accused Sarrai Group, Ugandan firm at the center of a protracted legal dispute, of hiring foreigners.
The workers, who staged demonstrations, said they have not been paid for months despite the Uganda-based company purporting to take over operations at the sugar miller.
“We want arrears to be paid immediately. We also want locals to be allowed to work in the company and Ugandans who were brought in by Sarrai to be deported back to their country.
“The few Kenyans working inside are working overtime and they are not being compensated,” Patrick Mutimbo, one of the workers, told the media.
The workers also accused Sarrai Group of reneging on a commitment to retain all staffers after taking over the operations at the sugar miller as per an agreement signed in December 2021.
“Sarrai Group had agreed to retain the workers and pay them their dues. The workers here are also farmers. They come from this community. Why is the company sidelining them and they are the ones who make this factory operational?” an aggrieved worker posed.
“If they are not criminals, why are they operating in darkness. What are they hiding?” he charged.
The agitated workers also accused the police for colluding with Sarrai to bar them from demanding for their dues through demonstrations.
“Two weeks ago, we got a permit to demonstrate but the police today came and disbursed us. They have colluded with Sarrai to deny us our right of demonstration,” Mutimbo said.
The new development comes two weeks after Sarrai Group was stopped by the Court of Appeal from operating the sugar miller until a case lodged against it is heard and determined.
The court upheld April 14, 2022, ruling that directed the Ugandan firm to vacate the milling company premises.
Three appellate court judges said the applicants had demonstrated an appeal will be rendered nugatory in case the execution is not stayed during the hearing of the case.
“In the upshot, the notice of motion dated 27th April 2022 is allowed to the extent only that there will be the stay of execution of the ruling dated 14th April 2022,” the judges ruled on Friday, September 23.
The three judges were Jamila Mohammed, Ole Kantai and Asike Makhandia.
The decision effectively locked Sarrai out of Mumias Sugar premises.
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