
Over 700 workers at the Raiply company in Eldoret blocked the main Uganda Highway in the city, protesting over delayed salaries at the firm.
The Raiply owners are linked to the leasing of Nzoia Sugar Company in Bungoma.
Raiply is owned by the Rai family, which is involved in several other businesses, including in the sugar sector.
The workers are demanding payment of their delayed April salaries and other arrears amounting to over Sh40 million.
The workers staged the protests outside the gate, where they were joined by Kiplombe area MCA Gilbert Lagat.
“Let them pay the workers their dues because they have families to take care of. Their children are out of school because the workers have not been paid,” Lagat urged the management.
He claimed his efforts to get entry into the firm for dialogue over the welfare of the workers had been rejected after he was blocked at the gate.
“Now that they have blocked us, we will use other means to ensure they do what is right,” Lagat alleged.
The workers' representatives, led by Benson Masaki George Ouko, Robert Ongare Enock Abas said they had been left with no option but to protest every month to have their salaries paid.
“We have over 120 workers who retired, some died and others were injured on duty, but the company has failed to pay them compensation,” Abas claimed.
The company, through a memo signed by Raguhunath Redy and Henry Akola, had notified the workers that their April Salaries would be paid by May 29, 2025.
“The company is meanwhile doing everything possible to ensure that the supply of raw materials continues so that production proceeds uninterrupted,” part of the memo sent to the workers read.
The workers said the CBA states that we should be paid by the 2nd of every month.
