NASA top lawyer and Siaya Senator James Orengo has been taken to court by a former employee at his law firm over nonpayment of salaries.
Gilbert Jedidah Ogango is accusing Orengo of failing to pay him for 17 months he worked at his law firm-JAB Orengo Advocates.
Ogango moved to court on Thursday and filed the case as urgent at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
In his court papers, Ogango said Orengo kept him working on the promise that he would get his pay once harsh economic times are over.
“But by looking at the change in the law firm, the harsh economic times have since passed and changed for the better, but he still refuses to pay me,” he said in his affidavit as quoted by the Star.
He said he believes the senior counsel who has handled high profile cases in the recent months misled him.
“I’m now led to believe they had been misleading me and as such my hopes and patience have been dashed — some to naught,” he adds in his affidavit.
Ogango was employed at JAB in 2008 through an oral contract. His salary was set at Sh20, 000 per month.
However, in 2014, things took a different turn. His salary stopped coming in but he did not take it seriously as he thought it was the normal delay which happened at times.
He proceeded to work without any pay for 17 months all in the hope things would get back to normal and he gets his salary.
But this was not to happen. He decided to call it quits and demanded for his outstanding payment but it was never paid out.
After he quit, he wrote a demand letter to Orengo’s law firm through the law firm of Okoth Okwemba SM & Associate.
In response, they he was told that his salary has been withheld not because there is no money but because he terminated his contract without decency.
He has now sued the Senator’s law firm for Sh950, 000- Sh340,000 as salary arrears for the period that he worked without pay; a one month’s salary of Sh20,000 and house allowances — 15 per cent of basic pay — amounting to Sh267,000.
Ogango also seeks compensation for unfair loss of employment at Sh240,000, severance pay of 15 days each year completed for seven years he worked which amounts to Sh80,500.
He also accused the law firm of violation the Employment Act by failing to pay him, keeping a record of his employment which has led him to untold suffering.
This, he said, will cause irreparable damage if Orengo fails to pay him.