Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua has threatened to shut down private companies operating in Kenya that have failed to honour the 6% minimum wage increase directive gazetted on October 9, 2024.

Mutua, while addressing the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET) conference in Mombasa, asked Kenyans to report any company that has failed to increase their wages.

“It’s important that our people are not slaves. I call upon Kenyans that if you are working in a company that has not increased, please talk to us, and that company will be in trouble with me,” said Mutua.

The government gazetted the new wages for general labourers in the country, in line with the 6% minimum pay increase in 2024, which was directed by President William Ruto.

Mutua said his ministry will crack the whip soon on defaulters.

The CS noted that companies in the private sector that have failed to comply with the law will be dealt with, including withdrawing their operating licences or shutting them down.

“If the government has agreed with employers and labour unions, and the president has declared, and the ministry gazettes that, that is a law. So please, I kindly ask you to tell me if the minimum wage is not met. Let us know if there is a certain company, we will shut it down. There are some people we will tell to leave this business, so that Kenyan workers also get their rights," he warned.

Mutua further said the ministry is reviewing why violations against the Kenyan domestic workers sector in Saudi Arabia have persisted despite efforts to streamline the sector.

He revealed that the government has deployed a new attaché in Saudi Arabia in the quest to address the matter of violations that normally get reported by Kenyan domestic workers there.

He spoke even as he dismissed a report by Amnesty International that indicated many Kenyans are suffering in Saudi Arabia.

Mutua reiterated that he government is concerned why other sectors have no issues while domestic workers have persistent complaints.

"As a government, we are reviewing what is happening with domestic workers. Why is it that there is no problem with other sectors, and it's only one sector? We can't demonise countries like Saudi Arabia, where many workers are employed in other sectors."

During the high-level meeting ongoing in Mombasa, Kenyan delegates called for curriculum reviews to align training skills with job market requirements, bridging the gap between school and workplace.

Grace Wahome, representing the Federation of Kenya Employers director Jacqueline Mugo, said the conference seeks to seal the gender equity and equality gap in the formal and informal employment sectors.

In other news, hundreds of Kenyans have come forward to demand justice after paying thousands of shillings for jobs abroad through a government-supervised programme.

This came months after Mutua and the National Employment Authority (NEA) gave their guarantees, but the promised job opportunities did not materialise.

The Ministry of Labour extensively promoted the hiring process, which was carried out by NEA.

It promised thousands of overseas job placements, especially for domestic workers, drivers, and construction workers.

Source: TUKO.co.ke