LSK staffer wants President Nelson Havi barred from ‘interfering’ with her employment

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Deputy Secretary Florence Wairimu Muturi has filed a case at the Milimani Law Courts seeking to have the institution barred from illegally interfering with her employment.

She says that there have been threats to have her pay withheld and it will only be plausible that orders are issued to the LSK President and Vice President to ensure that her salary is processed alongside that of the rest of the staff.

Muturi claims that the continued wrangles in the society is taking a toll on all employees and giving rise to a toxic environment where staff are permanently worried about their safety, growth, goal attainment and job security among other issues.

She further claims LSK President Nelson Havi is in breach of protocol and provisions of the LSK Act as he has allegedly resorted to issuing oral and written instructions directly to staff, thereby placing them in conflict with Secretary or other council members hence making them (staff) feel harassed and intimidated.

According to court papers, she says that on July 9, 2021 she was summoned by Havi only to find the caretaker council seated in the boardroom.

“I politely inquired from the 1st respondent as to why I had been summoned to the meeting yet I neither had such a scheduled meeting nor received any directives to be in any such meeting from the 2nd interested party,” reads court papers.

She argues that on July 12 this year while at her work station, she was shocked to receive an email attaching a letter dated July 9 drawn by the LSK President dismissing her with immediate effect.

“That I neither received a notice of any accusations against me prior to the purported termination nor hearing over the accusations,” reads court papers.

She says that she was also shocked after seeing an advert placed by Havi declaring a vacancy in her position as well as in the position of Director of Practice Standards which was held by Mary Kitonga.

She however argues that she later got another letter instructing her to disregard Havi’s letter regarding her dismissal and continue with work.

She is now accusing Havi of playing the role of an impartial arbiter, investigator, jury, executioner and persecutor all rolled into one.

“I believe that my dismissal by the president was not carried out in a manner that respected the public interest as well as my well-being as an individual, human rights, dignity, social justice and rule of law were violated,” she says.