Campaigns intensify ahead of civil servants union elections in June
Union of Kenya Civil Servants National Treasurer Justus Mugo (centre) and other officials during a press briefing in Nakuru on April 17, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Top officials, led by National Treasurer Justus Mugo, took their campaigns to Nakuru County with a promise to block the massive retrenchment of civil servants.
Candidates seeking top positions in the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) are crisscrossing the country, wooing voters ahead of the June polls.
The elections are coming at a time when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is pushing the Kenyan government to reduce the workforce of more than 500,000 and a bloated payroll, which gobbles up more than 50 per cent of the money generated by the taxpayer.
The civil servants are among the select workforce on the IMF’s radar for radical structural reforms that will send thousands of workers home and reduce the government’s runaway wage .
Some 10 top national and regional officials, led by National Treasurer Justus Mugo, took their campaigns to Nakuru County with a promise to block the massive retrenchment of civil servants, under their slogan Pesa mashinani (money at the grassroots level).
"If my team is elected in the June elections in Nairobi, we shall do everything possible to stop the massive retrenchment of workers," said Mr Mugo, who is eyeing the national secretary-general position.
He noted that for a long time, civil servants have been neglected by their employer and that they are earning meagre salaries while working in poor conditions.
"My team is determined and prepared to take over the union leadership. Our first agenda, if elected, will be to push for better salaries and working conditions for our members," he said.
Working relationship
Mr Mugo also pledged to mend the poor working relationship between the union and the employer.
"Our approach will be different - we shall seek more dialogue with the national government and legislators. We shall also push for the recognition agreement by all the 47 devolved units, to improve the union’s relationship with governors," he said.
The treasurer noted that without the endorsement of the recognition agreement by counties, the union will be unable to engage them on matters affecting members.
He exuded confidence that he will be elected, saying: “The current leadership has not been articulating the issues affecting the union members and many have stagnated in one grade without getting promotions."
Mr Mugo said his leadership will engage the national and county governments in a more structured and professional way to boost the morale of union members, which he described as being at “its lowest due to bad leadership”.
