Wrongful Termination! Former Employee Has Never Been Paid For 23 Years

By Jane Okoth

Complains of workers who have been fired illegally from their duties have always made headlines in many media outlets.

The worst case scenario is being illegally fired and your former employer being reluctant to pay your dues.

According to an article in the standard, Halake Wario a 60- year old retired civil servant was fired two decades ago after being abducted by foreign militia and is yet to receive his dues.

Wario a former guard working in the Ministry Of Water said that he has been following up on payment of his dues for 23 years.

Wario who hails from Marsabit County has made countless trips to Nairobi to seek the national government’s help in getting the pay.

The old man claims that his trouble began when he was transferred from the ministry offices in Nairobi to Moyale.

It was then in Moyale where he was abducted by Ethiopian militia for years which he cannot recall.

Wario’s case represents thousands of former employees whose rights have been also violated.

Why has this issue not addressed all these years?

If you have been fired from your job, how do you know that it is against the law and the reason for your dismissal is automatically unfair?

“I was fired from my job three years ago and still have not found another one,” laments Cynthia Kimuyu, a former civil servant.

“I have opted to stay home as a housewife because I don’t have time and the resources to walk from office to office,” she says.

A security guard at a government building who asked to remain anonymous called on the state to pay Wario his dues.

“The old man is really suffering and the government especially the ministry of water should pay up. He is going through double tragedy because apart from being abducted for years, his employers are also refusing to pay his dues.” He opines

“I took my former employer to court after I was able to prove that my dismissal from work was illegal, thanks to the help of my lawyer,” says Irene Adema, a clinical nutritionist at a private hospital.

“My former employer was able to compensate me as the judge had ordered him to do so in his ruling.” she says.

“Employers and mostly government ones have a habit of firing their staff whenever they feel like and also get away without any remuneration. Blame this on ignorance because majority of Kenyan employees do not know their rights and are easily intimidated by their employees,” she concludes.

What is your take on wrongful dismissal and the government refusing to pay former employees their terminal dues?

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