HomeFeaturesDN2 DN2 ‘I can’t work any more but boss still pays me’

 

Mr Sebastian Mbuta 

In Summary

• Nine years ago, Mr Sebastian Mbuta got a stroke while on duty and has not been able to work since. But his employer, out of compassion, has kept him on the payrollinShare

It all begun with a jerk one early Tuesday. Sebastian Mbuta, a driver at Andy Forwarders, had arrived for work in the wee hours of the morning as usual, feeling fit and ready for the day’s job.

However, on this November 11, 2003, he would later end up in a hospital bed and not be able to work again. Nonetheless, he continues to draw a monthly salary, nine years on, complete with benefits.

His employer still treats him as a worker in the company, and in addition to paying him a salary every month, offers medical cover and grants him access to loans. And when he ‘retires’, he will be paid pension.

It was about 4 a.m on the material day. Mr Mbuta was at a warehouse within the precincts of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, preparing his truck to be loaded with cargo.

He had just engaged the reverse gear and stepped onto the accelerator when his limbs suddenly stopped moving. His eyes also gave in.

His assistant, who had been outside directing the truck from behind, realised the unusual movements Sebastian was making and ran to his side.

It was the frantic call to his bosses’ office that might have saved Mr Mbuta. He was rushed to Aga Khan Hospital, where he was diagnosed with stroke and admitted in the ICU.

Although he was fortunate enough to move from ICU to a non-critical condition in three days, he had to remain hospitalised for another one and half months.

After that, his life became marked by trips in and out of the hospital.

For three months every day, Mbuta had to report at the hospital from his Kangundo home. He still could not speak clearly and the right side of his body was paralysed.

Since the incident, Mr Mbuta’s physical functioning was incapacitated. He had to be terminated from work.

Mbuta, now in remission, says that he had never in his wildest dreams imagined that at the untimely age of 48 years, he would be retired or be in the statistic of people with severe health problems and not being able to undertake gainful work.

“Being the only bread winner for my family, I was very worried,” Mr Mbuta says. He is father to two sons, and because his two brothers had died, six other dependants – the children of his deceased brothers – were also under his care.

Despite the comforting feeling that the staggering medical bills had been cleared by his employer, he spent a few gut wrenching nights after it had dawned on him that he would never go back to work.

Mbuta, who still visits the hospital once every month as routine, has not worked since the tragedy nine years ago. But guess what?

His former employer, decided not to stop paying his full monthly salary, and has continued to do so to date as though he is still at work.

During the critical stages of the disease, he was provided with a car and driver that chauffeured him back and forth.

In addition, he still enjoys the benefit of company sponsored medical cover to take care of his medical bills.