FAHAMU NETWORK

  More than 500 casual workers at the County government of Trans Nzoia have put off their strike notice after the county labour office intervened and facilitated negotiations between the conflicting parties. The workers, represented by the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU), had given the county government a 21-day strike notice. Their demands included transitioning all casual workers to permanent and pensionable employment terms, among other issues.  “We have put the strike notice on hold to allow for the implementation of the recommendations from the reconciliation process facilitated by the county labor office.”  said Mr  Juma Kiboi , the  chairman of the workers' union. The casual workers brought several grievances on the table including long-term employment without conversion to permanent status, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), underpayment, excessive workloads, harassment by senior officers, and discrimination in the workplace. “We ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Andrew Karanja has reaffirmed the government's dedication to enhancing agricultural productivity through the promotion of climate-resilient seeds. Speaking at the Kenya Seed Company’s annual research field day in Trans Nzoia County, Dr. Karanja highlighted the critical role of these seeds in bolstering food security and driving economic growth. "I commend the Kenya Seed company’s efforts, alongside the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) in ensuring the availability of certified maize seeds," he spoke at the Elgon Downs farm. Dr. Karanja emphasized that the Kenya Seed Company has successfully produced an adequate supply of certified maize seeds for the upcoming planting season.  "I’m projecting a harvest of around 70 million 90kg bags of maize this year, thanks to the government’s fertilizer subsidy program, quality seed production, favorable climatic conditions, and effective gove...