Mukumu Girls High School cook has sued the school for wrongful dismissal.
The school fired Douglas Muchela after exposing the management for ignoring his complaints about the state of food prepared for the students.
During a previous interview, Muchela had revealed that he complained to the administration several times but was called a serial complainer.
As such, he has accused the school of unfairly sacking him after years of service.
Moreover, Muchela wants the school to compensate him for exposure to an unhygienic working environment which led to him suffering severe stomach pains in April this year.
The cook through his lawyer is now demanding gratuity for the time he served and compensation on the two grounds, and the cost of the suit.
Also Read: Mukumu Girls Students Ate Food Contaminated with Faecal Matter
Furthermore, his lawyer Edwin Wafula filed a memo of claim at the Labour and Industrial Relations Court, Kakamega on Thursday, July 27.
“Muchela avers that his termination was initiated, done, and effected by Mukumu Girls’ Board of Management unlawfully, arbitrarily, punitively and without following the required procedure. The board’s unlawful actions were actuated by malice and amount to unfair labor practice which has exposed him to career stress and loss, mental strain and anguish, embarrassment and financial loss and damages,” reads the memo in part.
“He says that on June 2, 2023, he was served with a notice to show cause for inter-alia, insubordination and issuing unsubstantiated information against the school to the media…the said notice was issued based on falsehoods, innuendos and as an attempt by the Board to cover a matter that was already in the public domain,” the memo further reads.
Likewise, the cook wants the court to direct the school to reinstate him, and in default, ordered to pay his terminal dues and other benefits that would have accrued up to his retirement.
Before his sacking, Muchela had two more years of service left.
Muchela: ‘I Was Ordered to Quit Complaining’
Muchela had revealed that the ugali had bad taste, while the beef supplied was not fit for consumption.
The cook claimed he was ordered to stop complaining or tender his resignation upon notifying the principal Sister Jane Mmbone on the bad state of the food.
Likewise, Muchela said when the teachers noticed the state of the food, they stopped eating it.
However, students had no option and were forced to eat the food provided by the school.
Also Read: Mukumu Girls- Death Tolls Rises to Four as Teacher Dies
Mukumu Girls Tragedy
Mukumu girls high school management was on the spot in April this year after the Ministry of Health revealed that the students consumed food that was contaminated with fecal matter.
Three students and one teacher died because of the contamination leading to a temporary closure of the school.
Nonetheless, a committee was formed to oversee the execution of recommendations for better sanitation that would ensure students’ safety.
The committee directed that the public health department advise on how to dispose of the food items that are in the store to provide room for new purchases.
