KPA team to grill 136 workers over forged documents

Politics and policy

KPA managing director Gichiri Ndua. PHOTO | FILE 

By GITONGA MARETE

In Summary

• An audit exercise carried out at the port last year revealed that 136 employees used forged documents to get promotions or remain in employment.
• The Dock Workers Union, which represents KPA and Kenya Ferry Services employees, downplayed any action that might be taken against workers.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has set up a committee to study responses from staff who presented forged certificates for promotion.

The body is expected to decide on disciplinary measures to be taken soon.

Head of Corporate Affairs Bernard Osero on Wednesday said the committee had begun reviewing responses from over 100 employees who responded to a letter asking them to “show cause why” they should not be disciplined.

An audit exercise carried out at the port last year revealed that 136 employees used forged documents to get promotions or remain in employment.

“To ensure fairness and compliance with the law where the affected workers are also given a chance to be heard and to remove any doubt, management carried out preliminary enquiries with examining bodies and colleges,” said Mr Osero. “Individual officers whose certificates’ authenticity was found questionable were asked to account.”

He said the six-member committee was drawn from the human resource, legal, operations, internal audit, employee relations and finance departments.

The Dock Workers Union, which represents KPA and Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) employees, downplayed any action that might be taken against the workers, saying they were not worried since they expected the exercise to be fair.

Secretary General Simon Sang said the union did not expect KPA to take the drastic action of sacking the culprits, stressing that “there is a different way of solving the problem”.

“These are people who were desperate to retain their jobs and in any case it was the responsibility of the employer to ensure all the documents were authenticated while they were on the mandatory three-month probation,” Mr Sang said in an interview. “We don’t think they will be sacked.”

Asked whether the management would dismiss the affected workers, Mr Osero said: “Appropriate action will be taken upon conclusion of the review of the individual responses as each case is being dealt on its own merit.”

With nearly 7,000 workers, recruitment at the largest port in East Africa was frozen in 2010 but employment in key departments such as security and health has been going on when need arises.

Mr Sang said they were negotiating with KPA so that they reached an agreement on how to deal with the issue, adding that they had explored the possibility of demotions.

“Amnesty happens in many organizations. KPA will not be the first,” he said.

The union boss said the 136 workers had secured loans worth Sh54 million with their savings cooperatives (saccos) and subjecting them to dismissal would be “inhuman”.

“They have families to take care of and sacking would not be the solution,” he maintained.

1 | 2 Next Page »