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Operations at Gatundu Water and Sewerage Company stalled for the entire day yesterday as workers protested alleged violation of their rights by the firm management.

The plumbers, electrical engineers, technical and administration staff paralyzed all their activities to voice their concerns over blatant abuse of their rights and reported corruption at the company that serves over 100,000 water users daily.

Carrying placards with anti-management messages and blowing whistles, the furious workers at the water firm took issue with their bosses for disregarding their agitation for better working conditions.

The irate workers singled out that they have gone for six consecutive years without a salary review, deteriorated working conditions as they lack essential working tools for effective service delivery, prolonged contracts without absorption, corrupt dealings by the firm officials, salary delays, pending bills and unbothered attitude by the management that continues to push the company on a downward trajectory.

“We want a forensic audit done on the company’s book of accounts targeting all the bank accounts and Mpesa Pay Bill Accounts registered under Gatundu Water. We are tired of watching outright embezzlement of funds meant to improve the services of our people continue to happen,” Samuel Waweru, a worker said.

The frantic workers who vowed to remain undeterred until their grievances are fully addressed by the company board of directors further expressed concerns over evident insults and belittlements by some officials.

They at the same time accused the management of failing to conduct occasional meetings with them to review the company’s progress saying that even the board of directors at the firm are strange to them as they have never been introduced to the staff.

They advocated for the dissolution of the entire board of directors, cancellation of all irregularly done transfers, creation of a union for workers, enrollment of all staff into a medical scheme and absorption of all staff with contracts exceeding three years.

Kiambu County CEC in charge of Water and Environment David Kuria who addressed the disgruntled staff rooted for a compromise between the workers and the officials of the company to facilitate continuity in service delivery. He told journalists that the piled-up issues raised by the workers were as a result of miscommunication and pledged to intervene to have them resolved.

“I have decided to form a team to dig deep into this discussion and unearth what is and has been happening but from the onset, I feel that most of the issues raised are as a result of miscommunication.”