By John Momanyi, Friday, 8, May, 2020
K24 employees were suprised on Thursday morning after their lawyer failed to turn up in court to challenge the 50% pay cut implemented by the company over the negative economic effects by the coronavirus pandemic.
Juvenile lawyer David Ondieki Ayuka who is closely linked to former Mediamax Chairman and current Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja surprised Mediamax staff after he failed to show up in court for hearing of a case by K24 staff challenging the 50% salary pay cut implemented in the company owned by the Kenyatta family.
Even after pocketing Sh140,000 from a paltry Sh 300,000 that was contributed by all K24 employees to sue the Kenyatta family, lawyer Ayuka was a no show in the hearing of the case leading to a near collapse of the case.
However, there is a ray of hope for the K24 employees who are shivering over the proposed heavy pay cuts after the staff finally hired a competent lawyer, Danstan Omari to pursue their case.
Lawyer Omari is now expected to appear in court next week to challenge the punitive pay cuts.
Last week it was a reprieve for Mediamax Network employees, the parent company for K24 TV, Kameme TV, Milele FM, The People Daily Newspaper among other brands, after the High Court barred the company from implementing the 20% to 50% salary cuts.
In a ruling filed under a certificate of urgency Labour Court judge Byram Ongaya, ordered that the Mediamax Limited has been prohibited from terminating the respective contracts of service or discriminating the affected petitioners or forcing them to take a salary cut due to the negative effects of the coronavirus.
Employees from Mediamax, including K24 TV, PD Newspaper and several radio stations protested the intolerable pay cuts that were communicated by Acting CEO Ken Ngaruiya, a divisive figure in the company according to employees.
Here is a YouTube link of the online court session boycotted by the K24 lawyer.
Keep it here for the latest updates on the K24 staff vs President Uhuru Kenyatta case.
