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Former employees of Uchumi Supermarkets have petitioned Parliament, seeking intervention over delayed payment of salary arrears, gratuity, and other terminal dues years after the retailer entered a recovery process.
In a petition presented to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, the ex-workers said efforts to recover their benefits through the company’s management and administrators have not yielded any meaningful progress.
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They claim promises made under the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to settle employee claims remain unfulfilled despite numerous meetings, follow-ups, and public demonstrations.
According to the petition, salary arrears, gratuity, and other outstanding benefits have remained unpaid despite various engagements with administrators, court processes, and mechanisms established under the CVA framework.
The former employees further allege that income generated from tenants occupying Uchumi properties, including rent reportedly paid by China Square, has not been directed toward clearing staff claims.
They also accuse the retailer’s administrators of lacking transparency in handling matters affecting former workers and failing to implement some resolutions passed during the company’s most recent annual general meeting.
The petition states that many former employees continue to face severe financial challenges, with some struggling to meet daily expenses, settle medical bills, and finance their children’s education.
The workers also told Parliament that several former employees have died before receiving their dues.
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Once a dominant player in Kenya’s retail sector, Uchumi Supermarkets was declared insolvent after accumulating liabilities estimated at Sh7.05 billion. The company was later placed under a court-supervised CVA aimed at restructuring its operations and repaying creditors.
The petition has now been forwarded for consideration by the relevant parliamentary committee, which is expected to investigate the claims and submit recommendations to the National Assembly.
