Workers threaten to bury colleague at employer’s home

Sugar cane harvesters and transporters of the troubled Mumias Sugar factory on Tuesday caused a scene in Mayoni area, Mumias after they carried the corpse of one of their colleagues to their employer’s offices citing breach of contract.

The Secretary of the Transport Department at the company, Andrew Wanyonyi, said that their employer, Pawani Rish, had been acting contrary to agreements especially when the employees were met with challenges in the line of duty.

The employees have since threatened to bury their colleague either within or near Mr Rish’s home if he does not implement the expectations of their contract.

Rish has been accused of providing only Ksh 20,000 to the bereaved family, which is not a complete fulfillment of a particular clause in the contract.

According to one of the workers, the clause states that: “In the event of an employee dying in the service of the company, the company shall provide a coffin; the company in addition will assist the bereaved in paying mortuary fees for five days only and will provide a fourteen seat van to transport the body to the burial place together with the members of the family and employees who may accompany the body for the burial. The bereaved family will be paid Ksh 15,000 to cater for other funeral expenses.”