Governor Muthomi Njuki Facing Jail Term Over Delaying Workers' Salaries

Employees of the Tharaka Nithi government have moved to court calling for Governor Muthomi Njuki and his administrators to be jailed over delayed salaries. 

The disgruntled employees have further indicted the governor on contempt of court following the apparent dismissal of three orders issued by the Labour court in December regarding their unpaid salaries and allowances.

The 39 employees who include subordinate staff, security guards, clinical officers, agricultural officers and health officers revealed that their salaries had not been paid in eight months. 

The respondents in the suit include Governor Njuki, County Secretary Njeru Kamunde, county Public Service Board (PSB) Chairman Stephen Mitugo and Head of Human Resource Alex Muratha.

[caption caption="Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki"][/caption]

Lawyer Davidson Warutere, representing the employees, filed a contempt of court application at the Nyeri Labour court on Tuesday.

Warutere noted that the court, on three occasions, ordered the release of the salaries and allowances on diverse dates between December 7 and December 19 2017. 

The lawyer argued that the four senior county officials had disregarded the authority and dignity of the court.

The workers had moved to court in 2017 after Governor Njuki instituted an inquiry into the credentials of the workers.

In their defense, the county human resource boss told the court that the employee had been removed from the county payroll after an audit revealed that they had been hired irregularly and proceeded to halt their pay.

The court further heard that the workers were issued with five-year contracts in 2016 by the former county secretary Kenneth Kanga.

The courts set the hearing for May 17.

[caption caption="Tharaka Nithi county secretary Dr Fredrick Kamunde"][/caption]