Employees at Khetias Supermarket have come forward to protest tribal-based discrimination at the conglomerate’s Thika Branch, where Luhya jobholders are accorded preferential treatment.
This is reportedly due to the fact that the store’s Asian ownership originally began as a big player in the retail business in western Kenya.
The supermarket is controlled by the Kitale-based Khetia family but is under the management of Ashok Khetia.
Apart from rampant exploitation and poor remuneration, the attendants have also raised strong extortion allegations against the enterprise, claiming that its Thika outlet management has been actively stealing from customers by overcharging their items.
The unsuspecting victims often fail to notice that prices on the shelves do not match the final receipted amount at the cash counter.
Writing to us via e-mail, the source (who sought anonymity) also asserted that the branch is involved in tax evasion whereby managers manipulate the system into reducing deductions to KRA.
“Good Nyakundi,
Khetia’s Supermarket Thika is extorting their customers by overcharging where prices don’t match the ones on the shelves display and what is receipted.
It is unethical to steal from unsuspecting customers.
It is a scheme employed by the Branch Manager in order to boost sales at the expense of unsuspecting customers who are not keen to counter-check if the prices match.
Second, they are involved in tax evasion by manipulating the system in order to pay fewer taxes to the KRA.
All this is done under the command of the managers.
Third, tribalism is the order where Luhyas are paid much higher than the rest of the workers in the guise of “mali ya mtu wetu”.
Exploitation is the order where we work from 7:30 pm all the way to 8:30 pm without overtime with a mere Sh7k salary.
Huu ni ukoloni.
They give Luhyas plum positions without proper papers or proof of performance.
The rest are treated like dogs with poor working conditions.
Kindly raise this concern to the public.
We are many suffering in silence since nobody wants to speak of the evil.
Kindly hide my identity,” the source writes.
