Press Release: KGWA Commends Uhuru's Handling Of Land Issue

Nairobi 21 January, 2015 The Kenya Ghost Worker Alliance has applauded the Government of Kenya's handling of the land crisis affecting the country saying that this should serve as a model for dealing with the public wage crisis.

KGWA Secretary General, Casper Mwakazi, said he was encouraged by the fact that while President Uhuru Kenyatta had rightly condemned the practice of land grabbing, he had also elected not to victimize innocent land grabbers. "We commend the President for upholding this country's long tradition of tolerance for souls whose only crime is to be on the wrong side of the law," he said.

Across the country, the government has identified numerous cases of irregularly allocated land but is yet to prosecute, or even name, any culprits. Recent examples include 500,000 acres in Lamu given to 22 companies whose directors remain anonymous, as well as a 134-acre plot in Nairobi grabbed by equally nameless public officials reportedly including 40 Members of Parliament. Just this week, the government sent in riot police to protect a wall illegally constructed by unknown investors across a school playground.

"If the government carries on with this spirit, it will certainly bode well for the ... negotiations we hope to start over the fate of our public sector members," said Mr Mwakazi. Last year, the KGWA condemned what it described as the "demonization of ghost workers" after the Uhuru administration blamed them for the ballooning public wage bill and threatened to fire over 12,000 of their number. The Alliance has called for talks to deal with the grave issue.

Mr Mwakazi noted that the government had initially erred by seeking to exorcise the ghost workers from the payroll instead of protecting them, as it was land grabbers and poachers. "We are just asking to be treated the same as other citizens of this great republic," he said.

The Secretary General said the government had now demonstrated that it did not have agree with what some citizens did in order to defend to the death their right to do it. "There is reason to hope that the differences we have with the administration will not be allowed to stand in the way of achieving an agreement. We will soon be floating proposals to resurrect the good standing of our members." he said.

Press Release: KGWA Fully Supports Changes To Kenya's Security Laws

Nairobi 21^st December, 2014. The Secretary General of the Kenya Ghost Worker Alliance, Mr Casper Mwakazi, has expressed the organization's full and unstinting support for the efforts of the Government of Kenya to secure the country from the menace of terrorism.

On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law a set of tough measures designed to ensure the country can detect and prevent terror attacks. This came after a chaotic session of Parliament passed the contentious Security Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014.

In a statement sent to media houses, Mr Mwakazi praised the President for taking a principled stand on the issue. He faulted those saying the legislation had been rushed and had not benefited from wide consultations. "I can confirm that the KGWA was one of the organizations consulted by the government over the amendments," he said.

He added that, for the sake of national security, the Association had offered to temporarily fill the position of Inspector General of Police left vacant by the resignation of David Kimaiyo three weeks ago.

“It is unfortunate that some misguided Kenyans do not understand that these measures will exorcise the spectre of terrorism haunting our country,” he said. "Just because the benefits of the law are not immediately apparent doesn't mean they are not there," he said.

He urged Kenyans to maintain trust in their elected leaders, cautioning against selfishness. “The rights we are sacrificing in the interests of national security, are nothing compared to the peace of mind the government will gain,” he said.

He also noted that even though the new law posed a threat to the livelihoods of human rights activists and journalists, that would be offset by the opportunities it would open up for the members of the KGWA.

In this regard, Mr Mwakazi also welcomed reports that the government was considering a fresh head count of public workers. The last recount, carried out a few months ago, resulted in 12,000 KGWA members almost losing their jobs.

“The KGWA remains optimistic that any new recount would vastly reduce the number of our members affected by this draconian measure. We renew our call for a transparent process and dialogue to resolve any outstanding issue,” he said.

The statement concludes with the KGWA motto: “Work by faith, not by sight.”

Press Release: KGWA Protests Gov't Harassment of Ghost Workers

Nairobi 20^th November, 2014. The Secretary General of the Kenya Ghost Worker Alliance, Mr Casper Mwakazi, has protested the continuing harassment of its members and called on the Government of Kenya to engage in dialogue to resolve any issues relating to employment.

Mr Mwakazi condemned the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning, Ms Anne Waiguru, that the government would fire over 12,000 ghost workers, terming the move “unilateral and illegal”.

“We urge the government to rescind this illegal directive which will have an adverse impact, not only on our members and their families, but also on other state employees,” he said. “The demonizing of ghost workers must cease and we must exorcise the contempt that the government has shown towards these hard-working and transparent civil servants,” said he added.

Earlier this year, the Alliance released a statement objecting to the victimisation of its members during the debate on the country’swage bill.

Mr Mwakazi said he was haunted by the tales of the suffering that the government announcement had caused in the wider community, noting that most KGWA members used their meagre salaries to augment the pay of other government employees, including senior officials.

“We are ready to join our brothers in the Kenya County Government Workers Union in undertaking legal action to prevent this injustice,” he said, claiming that although the Alliance had reached out to the government, promised consultations had failed to materialize. The KCGWU has threatened to go to court over the registration of workers, which led to the dismissals.

He said the ghost workers would also be seeking spiritual assistance and support from the rest of Kenyan society and especially the religious fraternity whose activities have been similarly threatened by the authorities.

“As a society, we must not lose faith in our workers even when we do not see them,” said Mr Mwakazi. 

“Like we do at the KGWA, the government should work by faith, not by sight,” he concluded.