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Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.standard.ke

Workers’ fury over pay

By Abiya Ochola And Patrick Wachira 

President Kibaki addressing workers at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, during Labour Day celebrations on Thursday. Picture by Tabitha Otwori

This year’s Labour Day celebrations ended dramatically when a hostile crowd openly protested and walked out on President Kibaki after he failed to announce a much-awaited pay raise.

Trouble started when the President ended his address, but failed to touch on the sensitive issue of wages, forcing a section of the agitated crowd to protest.

The crowd demanded that President Kibaki address  

“Shida ilioko sasa ni kubwa na kwa sababu shilingi za kuongeza mshaara sasa hivi mimi siwezi kusema (The country is currently facing an economic crunch and let me tell you it is not possible to come up with a salary increase now,” the President tried to explain to the angry crowd.

“Tafadhali mnisikilize. Hata kama hamtaki kusikia, huo ndio ukweli wa mambo ilivyo na hatuwezi kuyaepuka. (Please listen. But even if you do not want to listen, that is the position and there is no way you can avoid it),” Kibaki pleaded even as the crowd defied him.

But as if moving in tandem with the mood of the Labour Day celebrations, weather patterns at Uhuru Park kept changing. The erratic weather pattern ensured that temperatures fluctuated from a mild chill early in the morning to sunny, then cold and sunny spells again.

By mid-afternoon, temperatures were still low. Perhaps the weather pattern was indicative of the political and economic wellbeing of wananchi, whose fortunes have continued to change from peace to gloom and doom, death and destruction, then to hope and reconciliation.

From as early as 9am in Nairobi, hundreds of workers began trooping to Uhuru Park to listen to their leaders. They arrived in twos and threes, filling the grounds from the lower terraces.

By 10.30am, the grounds resembled a mosaic and collage rendition of a Scotland Annual Boot Fair — colourful, vibrant and expectant, all at once.

Celebrations end in disarray 

Part of the crowd, mostly hard hit by inflation and most of who had found their way to Uhuru Park from Kibera, Mathare, Kariobangi, Dagoretti and Kangemi expecting the President to announce a salary raise to cushion them from the economic crunch and rising food prices.

Amid the loud protests from the disappointed crowd, President Kibaki cut short his speech and the Prisons Band led in singing the National Anthem and guests on their feet.

This quick action effectively nipped in the bud the effect of the walkout, which was being aired live on national television and beamed to homesteads across the country.

The celebrations ended in disarray as workers started chanting opposition songs to show their displeasure.

“How can this Government fail to address our wage increase yet it has the audacity to take billions of shillings from the Treasury to run a bloated Cabinet?” one employee asked and threw his hands in the air in desperation.

A section of chanting workers then mobbed Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Musalia Mudavadi (right), and Agriculture minister, Mr William Ruto (left), forcing their security detail to whisk them to the safety of their official limousines.

Unlike before, President Kibaki did not read the written English speech. He instead addressed them in Kiswahili.

“Hayo maneno mengi ambayo mmeongea juu yake yako katika hotuba hii ambayo sitasoma kwa leo (the issues you have raised are in this official speech which I will not read today),” said Kibaki as he went directly to off-the-cuff remarks.

This is the second time in many years that the Government did not announce an increase in minimum wages. Workers have demanded an increase due to high inflation that stands at 20 per cent.

They say the price of fuel and basic food had increased dramatically in the past three years, while wages had stagnated even as fears of a looming food shortage globally unfolded.

Need for wage policy 

Reacting after the workers’ walkout at Uhuru Park, Cotu executive member, Mr Francis Wangara, said the President could save himself from future embarrassment by setting an income and wages’ policy.

“That way, the increment will be addressed by the policy instead of waiting for the President to drop “manna” on Labour Day. We cannot entrust our daily bread to presidential decrees and if he fails to announce an increase for 10 years, Kenyans will die of stagnated salaries,” Wangara said.

The celebrations’ debacle comes against the backdrop of an economy battered by post-election violence and a Government that needs at least Sh21 billion to run a bloated 42-member Cabinet in the next two months.

But earlier, Kibaki had defended the size of the coalition Cabinet, saying it was crafted in the interest of national cohesion.

“It is not that we did not want to have a lean Government, but what is important is that it will unite Kenya. That is what matters now because after the Grand Cabinet was formed, I can see Kenya headed in the right direction,” he said.

Kibaki warned against those he accused of engaging in actions that would undermine the newfound unity among leaders, saying there was no room for skirmishes.

“It is up to us to make a firm decision that Kenya shall not slide back to anarchy. It is not the duty of civilians to investigate perpetrators of the violence. It will not resolve the crisis,” he said.

He said the Government would implement all the five Acts passed by Parliament to improve the welfare of workers.

“I appeal to employers to sympathise with workers affected by post-election violence and allow them to report back to their work stations,” he said

This was the first time for Kibaki to come back to Uhuru Park since the elections in December. Dignitaries and senior Government officials started trooping to the park at 10.30am.

Just before the Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, arrived at 11.55am, the Twanga Pepeta African International Stars artistes thrilled the crowd with female dancers’ erotic jigs ensuring rapt attention from the gathering.

Shortly after, as the Presidential standard flag fluttered in the wind to the right of the dais and the national flag to the left, the first outriders of the President’s motorcade emerged in view. Police officers had turned up in their ceremonial dress.

Seconds later, the President’s limousine, flanked by the escort cars, drew to a neat stop, just next to the red carpet. The Head of State’s Aide de Camp jumped from his seat to open the door for his boss.

Cotu’s Secretary General Mr Atwoli.

After President Kibaki greeted Cotu Secretary-General, Mr Francis Atwoli, and Labour minister, Mr John Munyes, he was ushered to the dais and it was time for the National Anthem. The ceremony had begun.

 

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African Press International – api