Mt. Kenya University casual laborers protest delayed wages

Over 30 workers at the newly-constructed Mount Kenya University building in Kicukiro District on Wednesday went on a sit-down strike accusing the Ndovu Builders Company of failure to pay their wages. The workers who talked to this paper claimed to have not been paid their wages for the last two months. They said several complaints to the company bosses had fallen on deaf ears. “We have not been paid wages since April and we are tired of coming here every day without receiving our payments. We tried to raise our complaints to the company bosses, but nothing has been done,” said Vesiane Niyonteze, one of the laborers. “We have got families and children to take care of, but it is so annoying that the company keeps on delaying payment.” Eugene Musabyimana, another worker, said the money has since accumulated to Rwf2.5m because the company pays them in installments. The case has been reported to the labour inspector of Gasabo District who promised to intervene. Damascene Gakuba, the Gasabo District labour inspector, confirmed that he had written to Ndovu Builders Company asking them to pay the workers immediately. When contacted, Titus Akol, one the site engineers, acknowledged the problem, blaming it on their supervisors, only identified as Soita and Wanyonyo, who allegedly vanished with the workers’ money. “We were planning to pay all the workers but, unfortunately, our supervisors stole workers’ money totalling Rwf2.5m. We reported the case to Kicukiro Police Station and they are carrying out investigations,” he said. Akol promised that they were looking for other ways of paying the workers, but said they needed more time. However, Musabyimana dismissed Akol’s argument, saying workers had already accumulated arrears before the said supervisors disappeared with the money. Police spokesperson for Central Region Superintendent Modeste Mbabazi confirmed that the case was reported at Kicukiro Police Station, where the complainant accuses the two Kenyan nationals who were responsible for the workers’ payments of disappearing with the money. Police are hunting for the suspects, he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Mt. Kenya University casual laborers protest delayed wages