A KCCA truck in Bwaise transporting the body of their casual worker Sam Nsamba and his family to Mubende for burial
Kampala Capital City Authority -KCCA casual workers in Kawempe have protested nonpayment of their salary for the months of September and October 2021.
The workers say KCCA has not made any communication as to why they haven’t been paid yet they are still working, sweeping the streets, desilting drainages and collecting garbage in the city.
The protest which they staged at Kawempe division was triggered by the death of their colleague Sam Lugya Nsamba who fainted last week while on duty sweeping Buwambo Road in Mpererwe.
Nsamba died last night at Mulago hospital and this morning, colleagues carried his body to KCCA Kawempe Division headquarters demanding that KCCA makes the burial arrangements.
Sulaiman Kayongo, the head of garbage loaders says that several of their colleague are struggling to survive amidst nonpayment. He is afraid many might suffer mental breakdown due to stress for nonpayment and lack of job security.
Another casual worker, Ssalongo Joseph Katende says their supervisors demand that they turn up for work and yet don’t address their salary demands. He adds that when they ask for salary, they are told to quit their jobs if they can no longer work. Katende says Nsamba had lost accommodation and sought shelter in a ramshackled structure in Lusanja due to lack of money to rent a descent home.
Workers are dismayed that KCCA has failed to pay them despite their salary being small. They earn between 150,000 Shillings and 180,000 shillings.
They narrated how they work under hard conditions cleaning drainages without proper protective gear but hung in there in pursuit for livelihood.
The contract of these casual workers expired on 15th September 2021 but they have continued to work since this is not the first time they have experienced lapses in their contracts but have been paid.
However, they are skeptical this time as another company called 7 Hills which is competing with them to do the city cleaning job. They don’t know if KCCA has laid them off since there has been no communication.
Ashraf Jjuuko, the acting chairman of the Kawempe Division Community SACCOs says KCCA should pay all workers and also pronounce itself on their contract for which they had sought renewal.
KCCA Acting Spokesperson, Juliet Bukirwa says that they are in touch with the family of the deceased and shall extend all the necessary support and that his salary arrears shall be extended to his family. Asked if all casual workers shall be paid despite their contract having expired since they are still being made to work by the supervisors, Bukirwa said she needs to make more consultation. But she says KCCA is working to streamline contracts of casual workers.
KCCA offered the body and some of the family members transport to his burial grounds in Mubende.
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