Unionist was not ‘sacked over Hague’

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By NATION CORRESPONDENT
Posted  Sunday, October 16  2011 at  20:19

The sacking of a Naivasha trade unionist who was one of the defence witnesses had nothing to do with International Criminal Court, a workers’ union has said.

The Kenya Plantation and Agriculture Workers Union (KPAWU) said the dismissal of the Naivasha branch secretary, Mr Peter Otieno, was made after he absconded duty for two weeks.

KPAWU organising secretary Henry Omasire said on Sunday that the decision was final and had nothing to do with his testimony at the Hague-based court.

Mr Otieno testified in support of former police commissioner Hussein Ali, who is among six Kenyans accused of bearing the greatest responsibility for post-election violence. (READ: Why ICC judge told off Ali’s witness)

The union claimed he was “using the ICC to cover his failure and imply that he had been suspended from duty for what he told the judges at The Hague”.

“Mr Otieno disappeared for two weeks, locked his office and switched off his cell phone without informing us of his whereabouts,” said Mr Omasire.

He added that the union and the flower farm workers in Naivasha only saw Mr Otieno on television during the ICC proceedings.