Cyprian Nyakundi has once again brought to light shocking revelations about the mistreatment of workers at KEDA Ceramics’ Miwani factory in Kisumu.
According to disturbing reports from employees, the company has been exploiting workers with excessive hours, unfair wages, and a hostile work environment.
Now, as ISO inspectors prepare to visit, management is allegedly orchestrating a grand cover-up to deceive them into believing that working conditions are fair.
Workers report being forced into grueling 12-hour shifts, yet only 195 hours are officially acknowledged as standard working hours.
This means that even when employees clock up to 225 hours per month, they are denied fair compensation for their labour.
Racial discrimination and mistreatment by supervisors are also said to be rampant, with those who speak up facing intimidation and threats of dismissal.
Many employees feel trapped in these harsh conditions because management constantly reminds them that there are desperate job seekers ready to take their place.
The mistreatment of workers is not the only concern. The local community has long accused KEDA Ceramics of damaging roads with its heavy-duty vehicles and of favouring workers from outside Kisumu over local residents.
Despite these longstanding grievances, no substantial action has been taken to address the issues.
Now, as the factory faces an ISO inspection, employees claim management is implementing deceptive measures to create a false impression of compliance with labour laws.
Workers have been instructed to wear company-branded T-shirts during the inspection to present a uniform and professional look.
Additionally, a select group of employees has allegedly been trained to mislead inspectors by providing scripted statements about fair wages and reasonable working hours.
To further manipulate the inspection, specific workers have been stationed along the designated route to smile and remain silent, ensuring that inspectors see only what management wants them to see.
Employees have been warned that any attempt to reveal the truth will result in immediate termination. A memo issued on February 21, 2025, even instructs workers living in the company’s quarters not to hang their clothes outside between February 24 and 26, an apparent attempt to create a misleading image of well-maintained living conditions.
Further deception includes the hurried construction of new dining structures to give the illusion that workers receive proper lunch breaks.
Employees, however, claim that these new facilities are merely for show and that they continue to be denied breaks as usual.
To reinforce the illusion, they have been ordered to eat in shifts at these designated areas during the inspection period.
A concerned worker anonymously reached out to Cyprian Nyakundi, detailing the full extent of the cover-up. The whistleblower described the situation as a desperate attempt by KEDA Ceramics to protect its reputation at the expense of its employees’ well-being.
The message outlined the intimidation tactics, the misleading presentation of fair wages and working conditions, and the threats issued to those who might expose the truth.
Workers are now calling on the ISO team to conduct an unannounced and impartial assessment rather than rely on the staged version presented by management.
They are also urging intervention from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), and relevant labour offices at both county and national levels.
Employees want a thorough investigation into the alleged violations and independent audits of wage records to determine the extent of unpaid labour.
Additionally, they are demanding that the Senate and the Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) probe the company’s coercion tactics and investigate whether government agencies have failed in their oversight responsibilities.
Labour rights groups, civil society organisations, and international watchdogs are also being urged to step in and push for accountability.
The workers of KEDA Ceramics Miwani are not just calling for justice—they are calling for a complete overhaul of the exploitative system they are subjected to.
They insist that only genuine intervention will improve their working conditions, not the superficial inspections that allow companies like KEDA Ceramics to continue their abusive practices.
