An international non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been ordered to pay Ksh1.2 million to two Kenyan employees sacked for losing a birthday card and calculator.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court heard that Plan International fired Andrew Nyawade Omondi and Catherine Mulwa after misplacing the gifts sent to a Standard Eight pupil by an overseas sponsor.
The two, through their lawyer Titus Koceyo, intimated they wrongly posted the gifts being sent across the country for the sponsored child.
There were dismissed even after replacing the calculator.
Justice Nelson Abuodha stated the reasons advanced by NGO did not warrant a sacking.
“The respondent was harsh in the circumstances hence the court finds the termination from service unfair,” he ruled.
Justice Aboudha awarded Omondi and Mulwa Ksh876,798 and Ksh323,916 respectively for their sacking.
The amount is equivalent to their six-month pay.
The judge mentioned Plan International should have sought a lighter punishment for the employees.
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation which works in 71 countries across the world to advance children’s rights and equality for girls.
The organization has been in Kenya since 1982.
