Silent Suffering: A Glimpse Into Unforgiving Working Conditions at Devki Group

Following shocking revelations about Devki Group’s alleged tax evasion of over Ksh 4 billion, new details have emerged, further painting a grim picture of corruption, exploitation and environmental degradation within the conglomerate.

 

The fresh allegations, coming from a whistleblower with intimate knowledge of the company’s operations, expose systemic malpractice and abuses that appear to be deeply rooted within the company. The whistleblower, who worked for Devki from 2018 to 2022, describes a toxic work environment where employees are subjected to unjust wage deductions, unsafe working conditions and intimidation tactics meant to silence any opposition.

 

Those who dare to question the unfair practices are reportedly dismissed and their grievances disregarded.

The most troubling aspect of these new claims is the exploitation of workers at the Maisha Mabati Ruiru plant, where employees were reportedly forced to work under hazardous conditions without proper protective gear which has allegedly been causing injuries and even fatalities.

 

The whistleblower also recounts incidents of electricity theft, dangerous production practices and the company’s blatant disregard for environmental regulations, particularly through its Acid Recovery Plant (ARP).

 

At the heart of these claims is the overarching pattern of misconduct, from underpaid and mistreated employees to regulatory violations being overlooked or actively silenced. Devki Group’s dealings with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to dodge tax obligations now appears to be just one layer of a much larger web of unethical practices.

 

These latest allegations expose a company that appears to be operating with complete impunity, exploiting both its workforce and the environment, while leveraging its power to silence any opposition. “Hi Nyakundi, huyu Devki Guru ni mkora.

 

I worked there for 4 years from 2018 to late 2022. I saw bad things there, to be specific at Maisha Mabati Ruiru. Huko HR ni wezi, mshahara end month na advance inakuwa deducted 3k na huwezi uliza.

Ukijaribu kuuliza unafutwa. From supervisor hadi HR wote ni wakamba. Ukiumia ukiwa job huwezi lipwa, ukijaribu kufile case wanalipa your lawyer na unafutwa kazi. That man is untouchable kabisa, huko watu wanaumia na ako na kampuni ya kugenerate acid (ARP) inaharibu environment. Hata workers wa huko hawana proper gears, wanabadilisha mabati ya roof every 3 months kwa hiyo ARP. Nahurumia landlords wa Ruiru, hata hiyo maji mbaya ya acid anafungulia na huko nyuma huyo msee ni shetani tu. Vitu zote zake ni ukora tupu. Mwambie aache kuibia watu wa Maisha mshahara na hata stima yeye huiba. Mwizi kabisa. Kwanza hata huko Maisha Mabati Ruiru, watu wanapewa contract ya 3 months yenye hata usipo renew uko tu job, they don’t employ permanent. Ongelelea mshahara kwanza, those people wanaumia and they can’t speak juu utafutwa. Imagine, advance mtu anakuibia 3k na end month hivo pia. Ukiumia au ukufe ukiwa job no pay at all. Kuna supervisor anaitwa Musyoka, HR anaitwa Erastus na Steve aki, hawa watu wa Guru mashetani kabisa. Unawalipa 30k ndio upewe job, huko hakuna interview imewai fanywa. Na lastly, huyu Guru wakati sales ziko chini yeye hununulia wafanyikazi mandizi na ukikosa kula hiyo mandizi unapata injury au coil inakuangukia unakufa. From there, wanauza mabati kwa wingi after sacrifice, I think.

 

Sad I lost a friend called Felix that way, sijai heal. Na mwingine, Alex, mguu ilienda, the guy stayed in the hospital for 3 years akijilipia. Niko na chai mingi ya huyu Devki, I worked there from 2018. Huyu kwanza 2020, kuna siku chai yake imetoka, eti halipi watu wakipata injury na wakikufa. Jamaa alikuja akatuita meeting akiwa na maHR, alitutishia sana. Ni mkora sana. Stima ni section ya old Maisha inalipiwa tu, new Maisha stima imepitishwa chini haisomi kwa meter za KPLC. Kuna siku KPLC wamekuja kuchunguza hii stori ya stima, akasimamisha shift mzima ya mchana akaanza kufanya production usiku. Hapa jamaa alikua ametumia blogger info vile anatesa wafanyikazi. Jamaa alitutishia for like 45 minutes. Hii picha ni ya 2020 huko, jamaa wanaishi na uoga wa kuongea, hata kuuliza mbona pesa iko less. Ukiona mtu anafanya kazi na Guru vizuri ni mkora. Watu hukuja kufanya hizo job za HR, accounts na finance wakigundua vile kuko, wao huenda. I have many examples from General Manager to HR, a true con. Mshahara ya wafanyikazi inaibwa na hao rafiki za Guru na ni kitu anajua kuanzia HR na muhindi anaitwa Dinesh. Jamaa mwizi kabisa.”