Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai on Monday, May 1, urged President William Ruto to allow police to form unions even under special conditions.
In a statement, Alai argued that a police union would help improve the working conditions for members of the police service.
"There is a reason why our police officers work and live in structures that reflect the 1950s is that their welfare is ignored and no complaint mechanism exists," read part of Alai's statement.
Police officers were pushing for the formation of a union to champion their welfare but the government was reluctant to grant permission.
In January 2023, President William Ruto appointed a 20-member national taskforce team to look into the welfare of police officers.
The task force that is chaired by retired Chief Justice David Maraga seeks to seal gaps within the operations of the police service and better the working conditions of security personnel.
At the same time, Alai urged the president to ensure the set minimum wage regulations were adhered to by all employers.
"Labour laws are thrown through the window and businesses have learnt not to worry about non-compliance on minimum wages," Alai stated.
He noted that even some government institutions were not following the minimum wage regulations.
"Why do we religiously pronounce the minimum wage policy if no one has to pay the penalty for non-compliance?" Alai asked.
Nairobi City Governor Johnson Sakaja while speaking during Labour Day celebrations in Nairobi at Uhuru Gardens hit out at private security firms for not adhering to minimum wage requirements.
Sakaja stated that some private security companies were exploiting workers, underpaying them while making millions of money.
“Our guards who spend the night at work and even work during the day, they are paid Ksh4,000 or Ksh5,000, yet you pronounce minimum wage above Ksh15,000,” Sakaja said.
The Nairobi governor also called on the government to rescue taxi drivers, whom he says are poorly paid by taxi-hailing companies.
The Kileleshwa MCA also wondered why the government has not put measures in place to safeguard the boda boda sector when it employs more than 2.5 million Kenyans.
"Imagine the number of young people who work in this sector. The thing we are not discussing is the deliberate practice to trap and condemn these young riders into a never-ending cycle of modern slavery," Alai lamented.
Alai maintained that the President could have used Labour Day celebrations to address the labour challenges in the country and offer immediate solutions for the benefit of citizens.
