EMPLOYEE STRIKE AT NZOIA

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 6:03 PM

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BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE STRIKE 15/3/2005

More than 1000 unionisable employees of Nzoia sugar company yesterday went on strike callling for the removal of the managing director and human resources manager immediately.

The workers ledby the chairperson of Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation Wokers, Mrs Roselinda Simiyu paralysed the operations ,forcing the MD Mr Josphat Akoyo and HRM Mr Joseph Nganga to lock themselves in the offices.

The angry employees were repulsed by armed police when they tried to force their way into the offices to eject the top managers .

The workers who camped outside the MDs office while singing and dancing in mockery of the managers hurled insults at the police for protecting them.

The employees complained that the management were not interested in dialoque and were refusing to meet them as workers representatives, something they say can not be tolerated.

Bungoma police boss Mr Chris Kago lead a contigent of heavily armed policemen to guard the offices of the two managers.
The District commissioner Mr Joseph Irungu arrived later and went directly to where the MD was holed up for consultations.
The OCDP gave firm instructions to the policemen guarding the MDs entrance not to allow any person to interupt the meeting.

The press was barred by the police to get comments from the MD saying that he is in danger and it was only the DC who could accept the request.

Mrs Simiyu said that they will not rest until Mr Akoyo is sacked fro underming the union and using the police to indimidate and harrass them

The truoble with management she said started on March 9, when the branch union officials wrote a letter to the MD complaining that their members are being removed from their stations and given manual work .

The letter cited cases in of field assistants in harvesting section,sanitary services in welfare ,clerks in time office and drivers in transport section as the group of employees affected.

The union demanded in that letter that permanent employees be given back their jobs, and all casuals and temporary employees be removed to reduce costs.

They also asked for payment of production bonus for the year 2004 with immediate effect because they met the target before the year ended.

The letter addresed to the MD also asked for protective gear balance of financial year 2003 to 2oo4 to be cleared without delay.

They demanded for confirmation of employees who are on acting position and also reinstate suspended clerks at the weighbridge

.Mr Akoyo in reply to lthe letter on March 10 accused Mrs Simiyu of divided interest and asked her to resign immediately.

The branch secretary was told to make a decision of either resigning her position at the company and concetrate on union matters for holding several posts in various institutions.

The letter said "You have shown divided interest over time,otherwise in future permision for absence from duty on account of activities that are not company related will be limited or granted with loss of pay".

The unionist was given 48 hours to confirm in choosing between being an employee or resign to concetrate on other acivities.

In response the empolyees came out strongly in defence of their secretary and gave the MD the same amount of time to withdraw the letter and apologise.

They threatened to take industrial action if the letter was not withdrawn and vowed to have the MD sacked.

Last week week arsonist set ablaze over 1000 acres of cane on fire belonging to the company protesting against the managements decision to have canecutters hired by contractors.

Most of the burnt cane is still standing because the company can not harvest it as it is immature.

FACTORY-RE-OPENING

Friday, March 18, 2005 10:27 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE NZOIA18/3/2005.
The Nzoia sugar company board of directors yesterday resolved to have the factory re-opened as they seek a solution to end the crisis of striking workers.
But the workers maintained that the factory will only started crushing when their demands are fulfilled with the removal of the managing director and the human resources manager.
The board meeting chaired by Mr Burudi Nabwera was  unanimous that harvested cane lying on the fields was rotting with the abrupt closure of the factory and its the farmers who are to lose.
The meeting admonished the district commisioner Mr Joseph Irungu for over-reacting to order the closure of the mill without considering the implication as harvested cane was in the yard a and could go to waste.
The board also accused the DC for siding with the MD  and failed to give the striking workers and address thier complains.
They blamed the management of the company for underming union representatives and taking their demands carelessly which has caused the company to lose immature cane through fires.
The factory was closed on Tuesday on the orders of Mr Irungu as demostrating employees called for the sacking of the MD Mr Josphat Akoyo ang HRM Mr Joseph Nganga.
Mrs Roselinda Simiyu the chairperson of Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation Workers said that the protesting employees were not going to disrupt production.
She said the decision to close down the factory was improper because there is cane on the groud and only two people should not make the mill not to run.

Sugarcane farmers contracted to Nzoia sugar company have joined the striking workers and demanding for compesation of thier harvested crop which could go to waste with the closure of the factory.

The national chairman of the Kenya national sugarcane growers union, Mr Nato Muleme said that 70,000 tonnes of harvested cane was lying in the fields when the Bungoma district commisioner ordered for the closure of the factory on Tuesday.

Mr Muleme speaking at Bukembe market, accused the DC, Mr Joseph Irungu for being misled by management of the company to close the factory to punish farmers.

Mr Muleme who was accompanied by the unions organising secretary, Mr Stephen Walubi complained that farmers were not party to the crisis at the factory and should be compesated if the cane dries up on farms.

The officials supported the demands of workers to have the managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo sacked for incompetence and harrasing of stakeholders in the sugar industry.

They said that farmers were the first to reject Mr Akoyo s appointment and are determined not to work with him.

He claimed cane farming is on the decrease due to poor incentives from the management and refusal to supply fertilizers as it has been the practice.

Last year Mr Nato kicked off a storm with the Nzoia management for demanding payment of shs.415,878,488. accrued interest for cane delivered from 1999-2003.

In a letter to the minister of agriculture Mr. Kipruto Kirwa,the union official claimed the interest was realised after the government waived the interest rates from sugar development fund(SDF),and also lowered interest on loans from 10%-5% last year.

Mr Muleme accused the management at Nzoia for charging interest on payments to farmers against the directives of the government.

The letter dated 17/11/2004 stated that farmers who benefited from shs.300million released by the government in May to clear the outstanding debt were deducted interest on land preparation, seedcane,harvesting and fertilizers yet this was money from SDF,

The chairman said then that the accrued amount covered the period between 1999-M ay 2003 as the management had flouted the guideline spelled out making farmers to continue suffering.

Yesterday he said the issue of contracting cane cutters has exposed that farmers were deducted more that the company paid the cutters.

He said farmers are deducted shs246.60 as harvesting charges yet cutters are paid shs94 which they want to reduce more.

 

NZOIA -MD RETAINED

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 10:03 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE NZOIA 22/3/2005
The managing director of Nzoia sugar company Mr Josphat Akoyo is to be retained the board confirmed ysterday.
Board chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera dismised the workers demand to sack Mr Akoyo as unrealistic and told them to accept his management style which he said had improved the companies fortunes.

Mr Nabwera speaking at the companys board room accompanied by Mr Akoyo said workers complaing against the MD are to blame for not understanding management matters.

He explained that the board had decided to retain him because he has intiated a programme to privatise cane harvesting to make it efficient anf less costly to the company.
The chairman said the board had only put on hold the contracting of cane cutters but the programme will be implemented by July after educating farmers and cutters to understand the benefits behind it.
He defended the MDs perfomance saying the board is very much impresed because the company for the first time in it s history made profit last year.
Last week the companies unionisable employees went on strike demanding for Mr Akoyos removal accusing him of undermining them and giving their jobs to casuals.
Led by the National chairperson of Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation workers Mrs Roselinda Simiyu paralysed company operations on Tuesday forcing the Bungoma district commisioner Mr Joseph Irungu to order for the closure of the factory.
The workers asked to be paid production bonus of 2004 and protective gear of financial year 2003/2004.
They said that Mr Akoyo and the human resources manager Mr Joseph Nganga be relieved of their duties for them to return to work.
Sugarcane farmers contracted to Nzoia sugar company have supported the call by workers demanding for the sacking of the managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo for his poor working relationship with them.
The national chairman of the Kenya national sugarcane growers union, Mr Nato Muleme and the chairman of Nzoia outgrower company Mr John Musakali complained that the MD undermines farmers represantatives
yet the payment system is making them to lose money to the company.
The officials claimed the lists of farmers who benefited from shs.300million released by the government last April to clear outstanding debts for cane harvested from 1999-2002 has never been made public.
They complained that some farmers who delivered their crop in 1999 have not yet been paid yet Mr Akoyo has said that the debts were cleared last November after the company paid out shs.410million.
Mr Musakali said the company has to refund shs120million deducted illegally as presumptive tax which was abolished in the year 2000 by the government.
He accused the MD of taking farmers for a ride by charging them the tax which he knew was illegal and told him to make necessary arrangemnets to refund all the money.
The officials speaking at Bukembe market, accused the DC, Mr Joseph Irungu for being misled by management of the company to close the factory to punish farmers.
They vowed to support the demands of workers until Mr Akoyo is sacked for incompetence and harrasing of stakeholders in the sugar industry and also toproduce the list of ghost farmers whom the management claimed
were paid falsely without delivering cane at the factory.
They said that farmers were the first to reject Mr Akoyo s appointment and are determined not to work with him.
Mr Nato claimed cane farming is on the decrease due to poor incentives from the management and refusal to supply fertilizers as it has been the practice.
The farmers challenged Bungoma MPs to declare their stand on the stalemate at Nzoia sugar company because they have not spoken out about the crisis.
They accused the Mps for being behind the appointment of Mr Akoyo as MD last year when his name was not among those shotlisted for the job.
Yesterday ,Trade & Industry minister minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi denied being party to the crisis at the company.
The minister said "I have never been involved at any stage in the recruitment and retention of managing director of Nzoia sugar comany".
Dr Kituyi said the board of directors should be given space to manage the companies problems and critised those advocating for violence to express thier desires as it wiil not increase the price of
cane or solve the grievances.
Local government minister Mr Musikari Kombo, assistant minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Moses Wetangula, MPs Wafula Wamunyinyi and Sylvester Wakoli have not denounced the closure of the factory publicy.
Last year Mr Nato kicked off a storm with the Nzoia management for demanding payment of shs.415,878,488. accrued interest for cane delivered from 1999-2003.
In a letter to the minister of agriculture Mr. Kipruto Kirwa,the union official claimed the interest was realised after the government waived the interest rates from sugar development fund(SDF),and also lowered interest on loans from 10%-5% last year.
Mr Muleme accused the management at Nzoia for charging interest on payments to farmers against the directives of the government.

PAN PAPERMILLS

Monday, February 14, 2005 10:43 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE TREES 14/2/2005

The minister for local government Mr. Musikari Kombo has directed the Webuye based pan African paper mills(PPM), to provide free seedlings to all schools in the constituency.

Mr Kombo said schools in his constituency need to plant a ring of trees around the compounds to act as windbreaks to protect roofs from being blown off regularly.

The minister observed that most of the schools have had the roofs ripped off by heavy winds yet this could bw avoided when they are undercover of trees.

Speaking at Malomonye primary school in Ndivisi, while presenting 200 iron sheets, Mr Kombo stated that the residents within Webuye were going to benefit from the free seedling offer by PPM.

He told the paper factory management to launch a massive sensitisation programme to make people prepared to plant trees when the rain season starts.
The general manager of PPM, Mr D S Nenawati who was present at the function promised to implement the directive immediately by urging the community to be willing to sell back the trees to the factory when they mature.
Mr Nenawati commented that the company supports the initiative of planting trees by the local communities and institutions like schools to protect them from roof ripoffs as they are dangerous to pupils when at school.
The iron sheets valued at shs.100,000 were a donation by the PPM to re -roof a tuition block which was ripped off last October were three pupils got injured.
The company usaully gives a scholar ship to the best KCPE student from Webuye constituency every year.
At the same time Bungoma KNUT branch chairman Mr Joseph Barasa has told the ministry of education not to transffer any teacher from the district as they are understaffed by over 2000 teachers.
Mr Barasa appealed to Mr Kombo to use his position to intervene because they can not be able to offer quality education when they are understaffed yet the ministry in not concerned.
He accused the minister of education Prof. George Saitoti of malice by categorising the district as one of those which are overstaffed saying the statistics based on was flawed.
The chairman complained that the minister got hsi statistics incorrect because the student - teacher ration in Bungoma is 100 :1 and no attempt should be made to remove any teacher.
He claimed that teachers who retire and those who die are never replaced to meet the ever increasing pupil population.
th end.




by luke kapchanga dn/webuye police 14/2/2005
Police in Webuye are extorting money from people through Kangaroo courts by threatening them with dire consenquences.
The police ambush unsuspecting wananchi immediately it reaches 7 pm and start rounding them up and those held as suspects are normally on the way to their homes.
People around Webuye town are now living more in fear of police than gangsters as they complain that the the former are ruthless when demanding for money and the abusive launguage they use.
The tactics employed by members of the police force is very grude and hash that whoever comes in contact with them opts to pay to buy freedom .
On Sunday evening the nation correspondent luke kapchanga was made to pay shs100 to be freed when he fall under the ambush at Nangoto on his way home.
The only crime committed was travelling late at night when police are on patrol.They threatend to confiscate his mobile phone when he tried to contact for assistance.
"You can call police commissioner or minister Kombo if you think that you are important but we shall take you to the cells", one of the two police men said.
The journalist was handcaffed when he asked why they are being harrassed yet it is not late to travell and if they had placed a curfew which members of the public may not be aware of.
The group of 10 people who were under arrest were forced to squart in a row for over 20 minutes and they were called one by one to give out bribes before being freed.
The police who are always droped by the landrover accused local politicians for tarnishing their image by linking them to robbery activities.
They said that the residents will have to pay highly as the councillors have been claiming that they the police were renting guns and uniforms to thugs to commit crimes and share the loot.
Residents are not sure if the police actions of confining them to their houses as early as 7pm is a declaration of a curfew to deprive them of the freedom to move out during evening hours to their neighbours.
The people now fear that being out of their homes when dusk falls is a crime which the bailout is a bribe as the captors do not allow the arrested to reach the cells.

At the sametime police in Lugari at the weeked foiled a robbery mision by 3 thugs and recovered an AK-47 rival and 18 rounds of ammunition.

The OCPD Mrs Peninah Kinyua said her men acting on tipoff raided the gangsters hideout at Matete market aroud 7pm where they found the gun hidden in a toilet.
Mrs Kinyua said the toilet belonged to the pentecostal church and one of the suspects a woman had the keys and was the one who hosted the 3 men.

2 of the suspects fled into the sugar cane plantation but the woman and one man was arrested . The OCPD said she suspects the thugs were intercepted on the mission to commit a robbery because they discovered that they had slaughtered a black hen which cleanses their crimes.

TROUBLE AT NZOIA FACTORY

Thursday, March 24, 2005 11:03 AM

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BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN WEBUYE KOMBO 24/3/2005

The minister for local government Mr Musikari Kombo has called for calm and order at the troubled Nzoia sugar company.

Mr Kombo commenting on the controversy between workers and management which led to the closure of the factory last week,said it requires sanity to reach a lasting solution.

The minister appealed to workers to give the board of directors amble time to sort out any differences they have with management but should not resort to industrial action.

Mr Kombo who is the Webuye Mp, which is part of the Nzoia outgrower sugar scheme said farmers are happy with the management because they have cleared the backlog of outstanding debts.

Addressing parents and students of Sitikho location schools, the minister defended the record of management for paying farmers for the delivered cane and clearing the 1999-2002 accumulated debt.

He said what is important to farmers is to have management which is responding to thier problems and called on workers not to misled other stakeholders and create confusion at the firm.

The Ford-K chairman denied having played any part in the appointment of Mr Josphat Akoyo as the managing diretor last year.

"I never prevailed upon the board of diretors to appoint the MD but we are impressed with his perfomance" he said .

The local leaders he went on, are satisfied with farmers payments which has been a headache for a long period.

He explained that the shs.300million released by the government last year was paid satisfactorily and the on going payment programme for delivered cane is within the stipulated 30 days waiting period.

The minister toured Muji, Milo , Sitikho, Mangana and Ngwelo secondary schools and Kakimanyi &Mukite primary schools were he promised to construct tuition blocks each using constituency development funds .

Workers at the company last week paralysed operations demanding the sacking of Mr Akoyo accusing him of harrasing and indimidating union officials.

The board chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera has defended the MD and dismissed the calls to have him removed.

Mr Nabwera said that Mr Akoyo has changed the fortunes of the company which was on the verge of colapsing due to coruption and mismanagement by former managers.

Farmers have joined the workers caling for the MDs removal saying that he has failed to clear the 1999-2002 accumulated debts.

Their representatives maintain that not all farmers benefited from the shs.300million because company employees tampered with the records leaving out most of them.

BURNT CANE AT NZOIA SUGAR FACTORY

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 9:28 AM

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BY  LUKE KAPCHANGA  DN/WEBUYE    NZOIA    9/3/2005
The Nzoia sugar factory has been closed down following unrest by cane cutters who are protesting the introductions of
contracts in the harvesting section.
The factory stoped operations on Monday when the demostrating cutters roughed up a company employee and set ablaze three
farms as they threatened to become more violent.
Factory manager a MR mulungwa is said to have told workers in the mill to have a rest while they are hoping that matters
were going to stabilise.
Mr Mulungwa is said to have gave instructions to close the mill to stave off the unrest and to re-open when the cutters have
accepted to be hired by sub-contractors.
The nation spotcheck found the cane yard empty with no transporting tractors where seen ferrying the harvested crop.
The cutters who are not direct employees of the company have vowed to distabilise the factory operations until managemnt
drops the idea of having them hired through contracts.
The cutters claim that they will be paid less if their services are hired by contractors compared to when they deal directly
with the company.
The companys unionisable employees are said to be suporting the cane cutters to scuttle the managements effort to
introduce the contract system in harvesting.
It is estimated that the company has incured losses by having 0ver 200hectares of cane burnt since announcing  of having cutters to be contracted
Most of the burnt cane is under age which can not be crushed as it does not produce sugar but
mollasses which is a bye-product.
Another blow to the management is that the burnt cane can not be harvested as the cutters are on strike so it rots on the farm.
Yesterday the managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo held consultations with top managers at the factory to get a solution to the
problem.
The MD was holed up in his office but not talking to outsiders and he refused to address the press.

TYPHOID OUTBREAK

Saturday, March 19, 2005 11:36 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/KIMILILI TYPHOID 19/3/2005

The ministry of water officials in Bungoma district are to blame for the typhoid outbreaks in secondary schools which has claimed the lives of two students.

The minister of trade and industry Dr Mukhisa Kituyi said the problem is caused by lack of rehabilitaion and cleaning up of treatment works.

Dr Kituyi who spoke after touring, Moi girls Kamusinga and Kimilili boys high schools complained that the clean up has been inasufficient for a long time affecting the quality and quantity of water consumption within Kimilili town.

"It is painful that within a short period when a similar outbreak was at Chesamisi another one is occuring which is water related" Dr Kituyi observed.
The minister who is the area MP told parents not to panick and remove students from the affected schools as the situation has been put under control.
The provincial medical officer western Dr Olango Onudi confirmed that the outbreak was typhoid and dispelled fears that it could be swamp fever.
Dr Onudi speaking at the Webuye sud-district hospital, said tests carried out on affected students shows that they consumed contaminated water.

The PMO said they are now monitoring water treatment daily which is consumed by the two schools, coming from one source at Kamutiong water suply.

He told journalists that the first casaulty was a girl from Kamusinga who died on 11 March and the second was a student of Kimilili boys who died on 17 March at Bungoma hospital.

The girl was identified as Lilian Simiyu form -3 while the boy was identified as Francis Mukhisa Kituyi form -4.

He said a total of 126 students have been treated fo the disease , 90 girls and 36 boys and clinical camps have been set up to detect any new cases.

The PMO explained that 9 students, 8 boys and a girl are stiil admitted at the hospital , 2 in serious conditions.

He also blamed the ministry of water which is supposed to ensure the safety and cleanliness of water consumption for not doing enough.

He defended the public health officials for failing to detect water contamination early because they do not laise with the officials from the ministry nof water.

Dr Onudi clariffied that a consignment of drugs had been sent from Nairobi to sumplement the hospital stocks.

He said earlier, the doctors were made to change drugs one after another because they had not identified the disease.