Merchandisers of New KCC, the backbone of the dairy giant’s distribution network, are caught in a web of financial despair.
For months, these workers have toiled without compensation, their cries for help lost in the void of corporate neglect.
A source, weary from the burden of unpaid labor, confided in us, “ Hi Nyakundi. This post is about NKCC, we work for the company as merchandisers and for 3 months now, we’ve not been paid, we are living in debts yet they are not communicating when we are getting our salaries. Kindly post for us everywhere so that they can pay us, we do the most work yet we receive our pay late.”
The frustration is noticeable among the workforce.
Another source, whose identity is shielded for fear of reprisal, echoes the sentiment, “Hi Cyprian. Please hide id. I’ve been working as a merchandiser for KCC through IC agency and they have not paid since March yet they expect us to visit the shops and make orders. Worst is they never give a clear communication they just lie. We are about 100 merchandisers countrywide.”
A female merchandiser who spoke to us on Wednesday, May 22 added her voice to the growing discontent, “Hello there Cyprian, I hope you’re doing well. There’s a problem somewhere and we would wish to get your assistance kindly. Help us to present our cries to KCC, we have been working for them for months now without being paid. Kindly help us to tag them on Twitter. Kindly help us tag them on your page because you have a great following and this is going to reach them. No, it has not yet been sorted, and they are not giving us any feedback concerning it. It’s now 4 months without pay.”
These statements paint a grim picture of the struggles of these merchandisers.
It is clear that despite the government’s recent pledge to invest Ksh5 billion to modernize New KCC, workers at the ground level are suffering from delayed payments and a lack of communication.
As the company enjoys the benefits of modernization and expansion, the rights and welfare of every employee must be upheld.
We will continue to report, to question and to demand answers.
Just recently we shed light on disturbing practices within New KCC’s management where eports of misconduct have surfaced and revealed a pattern of delayed payments to farmers, who, when seeking answers, are met with inadequate and often arrogant responses from company officers.
New KCC’s substantial debts to Saccos have led to aggressive debt recovery measures that include seizing farmers’ cows.
Just received some troubling information about the New KCC management. It seems there’s a lot of misconduct happening within the company. Farmers aren’t getting paid and when they try to reach out to officers the response is lacking. When they do respond, it’s with a shocking… pic.twitter.com/otReBZm0J4
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) April 21, 2024
