An international non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been ordered to pay Sh1.2 million to two Kenyan employees it sacked for losing a birthday card and calculator sent to a Standard Eight pupil by an overseas sponsor.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court found that Plan International was harsh and unfair to Andrew Nyawade Omondi and Catherine Mulwa, and that the reasons advanced by NGO “did not warrant a sacking.”
“The respondent was harsh in the circumstances hence the court finds the termination from service unfair,” said Justice Nelson Abuodha.
The judge said Plan International should have sought a lighter punishment for the employees.
The court awarded Mr Omondi Sh876,798 and Ms Mulwa Sh323,916 for their sacking. The award is equivalent to their six-month pay.
The two, through their lawyer Titus Koceyo, said they wrongly posted the items from thousands of items being sent across the country for the sponsored children.
Mr Omondi and Ms Mulwa were dismissed although they said they had replaced the calculator.