When the heat turned on Radio Africa’s-managed Homeboyz Radio over the weekend, Kenyans did not expect to hear more about it until ex-Classic 105 Presenter Terry Muikamba dropped another bombshell.
Muikamba left the station in 2020 in inexplicable circumstances but it has emerged that she went through mental anguish at the radio station since 2019 when she battled a deadly disease.
She has since sued the firm for unfair and wrongful dismissal.
In court papers, Muikamba recounts the rain started beating in 2019 after she was diagnosed with Grave’s Disease which negatively affects the immune system.
She told the court that when she sought for medical leave to undergo specialized treatment, Radio Africa’s senior management was “inhuman and unsympathetic”.
She claims that Radio Africa’s Director of Programmes Pete Sinclair, a Caucasian, went on to look for her replacement while she fought for her life in a hospital bed.
She also accused the firm’s Human Resources head Jemima Ngode of focusing more on when she would return to work rather than her general recovery.
“The respondent was informed of the claimant’s medical condition and granted her the necessary leave of absence to attend to her medical condition. However, it soon became apparent that the Respondent’s senior officials were not sympathetic to the claimant’s condition by acting inhumane and in an insensitive manner whilst she was admitted at the hospital…” part of court documents state.
Drained by her treatment plan that gobbled up Ksh10,000 daily, she finally returned to work and harassment became a real thing.
Muikamba cites that Sinclair in several occasions referred to her as a sickling and f****useless while addressing other employees.
This caused mental anguish and her efforts to seek refuge from the HR were futile because Sinclair was an ‘untouchable’ given his position in the company. The HR told her she could not do much in helping her.
Sinclair would allegedly escalate his insults on Muikamba after lodging the complaint which created a toxic work environment. She left the station in November 2020.
Court document show that follow radio hosts Mike Mondo and Nick Ndenda had reports the same issue with the HR department adding that it created a cold working environment.
The court documents detail Sinclair’s alleged atrocities to Junior staff with him being quoted on his derogatory words on ex-staff Linda Nyangweso when she fell pregnant.
He is alleged to have bashed her when going for maternity leave and in another incident, denied a male employee paternity leave telling him “next time wear a co*****”.
She is now suing Radio Africa for unfair dismissal before the lapse of her contract scheduled to end in November 2021. She is also seeking damages as her rights were infringed.
“Aggravated and General damages for infringement of the claimant’s rights, 1-year salary for the remainder of her contract period from November 30, 2020, to November 30, 2021, amounting to Sh2,160,000,” court papers added.
