Kenyan Senator ordered by court to pay house help

lorine towett

March 23, 2018 3:20 PM

Senator order Agnes Zani ordered to pay former house help

A Kenyan senator has been ordered by the Employment and Labor Relations Court to pay her former house help.

Nominator Senator Dr. Agnes Zani was directed to pay Sh. 201,000 to a house help who worked for her for more than one year.

One Ednah Ingalia worked for the senator before she was released after a misunderstanding with Agnes’s son.

The 25 years old sought to get paid Sh. 180,000 in total that accumulated from unpaid arrears.

Judge Maurine Onyango presided over the case and gave a verdict that the senator’s decision to dismiss the house help was baseless.

Part of the ruling read;

“The court is satisfied that the claimant served the respondent continuously for 26 months. That she was paid a monthly salary of Sh20, 000, was not housed by the respondent, did not go on leave during the 26 months period, but was given off duty during public holidays and when the respondent had travelled.”

Ingalia alleged that she started working for Ednah on 9 October 2012 as a house help and messenger and the salary was Ksh. 20,000 every month.

Ingalia reported that on 19 December 2014 she reported to work at 2pm, Lesley Zani, the respondent’s son squared up to her while holding a knife and said, “I have a surprise for you” before leaving the house.

Apparently 25 year old Ingalia had been instructed to ensure that 21 year old Lesley does not leave the house and so she contacted the senator to explain what happened.

The house help was fired later and being a single mother with school going kids without any other source of income, she was unable to pay her rent and thrown out of her house.

Senator Ednah denied she employed her as a messenger adding that she was to do cleaning the house when asked to but not on a daily basis.

Agnes’s personal assistant Carolyne Cherop testified that she knew Edna as a house help who provided services when required to adding that the payment depended on what activities she would engage in. She narrated that Ingalia was sacked since she was unreliable.

The court however dismissed Agnes’s personal assistant Carolyne on basis that she cannot be aware of the relationship the two had.

Eventually, the judge ruled that the applicant was treated badly which resulted to her being evicted from her house because she was unpaid for the services she offered.

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