Orengo ordered to pay ex-employee Ksh.600K for wrongful termination

The High Court has ordered Siaya Senator James Orengo to pay a former employee Ksh.600,000 for wrongful termination of employment.

Justice Onesmus Makau of the Employment and Labor Relations Court ruled that the leader of minority in the Senate failed to pay Gilbert Jedidah Ogango his salary for a period of 17 months in 2016.

Mr Ogango worked as a court clerk in Orengo’s law firm, J.A.B Orengo Advocates.

The judge awarded the complainant Ksh.20,000 being one month’s salary in lieu of notice and Ksh.240,000 being salary for 12 months compensation and unlawful termination of contract.

He was also awarded unrebutted claim of 17 months’ salary arrears amounting to Ksh.340,000.

Mr Ogango, who moved to court seeking to be paid Ksh.950,000, argued that he had to persevere for nearly two years working at the law firm even as the Senior Counsel kept promising that he would be paid once the harsh economic times were over.

According to the suit papers, Mr Ogango was employed as a clerk at the law firm through an oral contract in 2008. They agreed he would earn a monthly salary of Ksh.20,000.

The complainant claimed that, in September 2014, the firm failed to pay him but that he did not take it seriously because sometimes his salary would be delayed for various reasons.

He however, said that lack of pay compelled him to quit, adding that failure by the firm to pay him his dues was a crime under the Employment Act.

Mr. Ogango says the law firm acted unprocedurally by failing to keep records of his employment.