Busia — The Busia Water and Sewerage Company has today downed their tools of trade and locked up the offices main door in protest of unpaid salary arrears accusing the county government of Busia of payment defaults.
In a move of solidarity, the more than 80 BUWASCO staff ran out of options and locked up the main office door demanding their 12months salary arrears and called on the governor Otuoma to intervene.
Addressing the press at the department of Water environment and natural resources, the irate workers led by Stanley Juma accused the water and Sewerage Company management of not remitting their statutory deductions as well.
"Salaries have been gradually delaying for the last 12 months. You can imagine its now January students are going to school and we can not take our children to.school since we have nothing, we also have needs that we need to cater for. We won't resume until salaries are paid," Juma said.
Juma however alleged that their financial predicaments are largely catalysed by the County Government of Busia departments failure to pay their Water bills amounting to more than Kshs. 13milion, adding that better the days they were under kakamega.
"The facility lacks basic essentials among them chemicals which is very important for water to be treated and be clean, another thing they lack is electricity since it is used to pump water continually," he said.
In a quick rejoinder, County CEC for Water, Environment and Natural Resources Eng. Andrew Messo confirmed the workers' demands are genuine and promised to engage the BUWASCO board to solve the impasse with immediate effect for smooth and effective running of the company that has had a big share of financial challenges.
"We as a county we have come up with a board that will take care of the matter and make sure all the arreas have been paid, but for the electricty it has been paid ,we are trying to finish up with the arreas we inherited from past few years and the issue will be sorted," said Messo. The companies problems is dated back after devolution when the company branched from Lake Victoria water company, and ever since the payment to workers and other office equipments has remain a nightmare. - Kna
