
The country is yet again in threat of facing a nationwide blackout as Kenya Power employees threaten to go on strike.
Through the Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Worker’s Union (KETAWU), the employees have threatened to down their tools over the company’s plan to send 20 per cent of it’s employees who are aged home.
Kenya Power proposed Voluntary Employee Separation (VES), through which 1962 employees would be sent home and be replaced with 830 younger staff at a cheaper cost.
“The company, because of low attrition rate, has an ageing and expensive work force resulting in staff cost growing at nearly twice the rate of revenue growth,” acting Kenya Power Chief Executive Officer Rosemary Oduor said.
The programme which is set to kick off in May through June 2023, will see the current 9,843 Kenya Power employees fall to 8,711 at a cost of Sh5.3 billion.
“In an environment where low operational costs and agility are critical requirements, productivity and quality of service have been negatively impacted,” Oduor further added.
The company is expected to lower the cost of electricity after several complaints on high rise in the cost of purchase which advocated for the talks between the Ministry of Energy and Utility and Independent Power Producer(IPP) to review the power purchase agreements.