My Heart Bled Today
By Donald Kipkorir via FB
Once in a while, I quietly do pro bono work for the poor. Today, an elderly man from Murang’a came to see me for legal advise. His relatives, who are wiser in the ways of the world went to Court and applied to take possession of his property alleging he died! His case has stalled in Court for over TEN YEARS because he doesn’t have money to fight his relatives. Meanwhile, the relatives are farming on his land!
As we were chatting, he told me he works in one of the biggest companies in Kenya and his salary is paltry Kshs. 10,000/=. He does work that ought to be done by ten people. This is a man in his 60’s. He has Four adult children. None went to college because he couldn’t have afforded to pay even High School fees for them. Then I was just wondering, if he is earning 10K now, how much was he earning in his 30’s? How has he survived?
In the village like Cheptongei, one can survive with Kshs. 10,000/= But not in Urban areas. We have some of the best employment laws in the world, including on salaries, allowances and benefits. But does our Labour Ministry sensitize Employees? Do they do inspections on companies and especially the Biggest Companies to make sure their profits are not built on the bend backs of the poorest?
We are all entitled to make money but not through slavery in any form. My heart bleeds for that man who came to see me. His relatives “killed” him, but his employer is not any better.
What then? what rests?
Try what repentance can: what can it not?
Yet what can it when one cannot repent?
O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
O limed soul, that struggling to be free
Art more engag’d!
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
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