Former employees of Magunas Supermarket at the Makutano branch in Meru County have raised serious grievances regarding what they describe as unfair treatment and arbitrary dismissals following the arson and looting incident that destroyed the store during the Saba Saba protests on July 7, 2025, an event that led to the termination of approximately 90% of the workforce, with the employees insisting that they had no involvement in the destruction, and that some had even been on approved leave at the time of the incident.
The former staff report that in the aftermath of the fire, management instructed them to reapply for their positions once renovations commenced, a process they complied with fully.
However, in practice, only a handful were invited for interviews, and in at least one instance, a former employee who had previously worked at the branch was initially interviewed and then informed that they had failed the selection process, leaving the staff to question why they were being treated unfairly and what wrongdoing they had committed to warrant exclusion, while also noting that the supermarket began hiring new personnel to work on the ground floor as renovations progressed, raising fears among the former employees that they might never regain their former positions.
The affected workers have revealed that during the renovation period, they were called to the headquarters to sign documents placing them on seven-day unpaid leave while waiting for the store to reopen, a situation that caused financial strain as they had to spend money on transport and basic necessities without any income.
Many were left without earnings for the entire month of July, with some reporting that they spent nearly Ksh 3,000 in just two weeks to cover daily expenses, exposing the heavy financial toll of management’s post-arson decisions.
As the renovations continue, covering the upper floors of the building while new staff work on the ground floor, the former employees have expressed frustration and confusion over the handling of their reapplications and contracts.
They report that some of their contracts were terminated even though they had not yet expired, while others were called for interviews only to be told later that they had failed, leaving them uncertain about why management, particularly decisions reportedly made by a senior manager at Magunas Supermarket overseeing staff rehiring, removed them from their positions.
The former staff have described a lack of clarity and fairness in the process, noting that some employees were left without work even after being cleared and attending interviews, which has deepened their sense of injustice and financial strain following the July 7 arson incident.
The former employees are now appealing to the Department of Labour through the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, as well as the Meru County Labour Office, to intervene and investigate the actions taken by Magunas Supermarket management.
They are requesting a formal review of the dismissals and reapplication process, seeking either reinstatement to their previous positions or fair compensation for the period they were left without income, while urging that the ongoing renovations at the Makutano branch be managed in a way that allows them to return to work once the upper floors are completed.
They have stated that they are ready to resume duties and contribute to the reopening and normal operations of the store.
“Hello Cyprian. Kindly hide my identity. This is about Magunas Supermarket at the Makutano branch, which was burnt during the July 7 incident, and it is with great pain that we share our experience. After the fire, we were called for a meeting and informed that we were to be posted to other branches while awaiting renovation. We were called to the headquarters to sign documents placing us on seven-day unpaid leave during the renovation period. After two weeks, we were called again, and the transport fare was minimal, around KSh 1,500, but over two weeks we spent nearly KSh 3,000, meaning we had no income for the entire month of July. The supermarket instructed that we reapply for our jobs after about 90% of staff were sacked following the incident. The people responsible for the arson were caught, but the staff were never involved, and some were even on leave at the time. We all reapplied as instructed, but in practice, only a handful were invited for interviews. In one case, a former employee who had previously worked at the branch was interviewed, then later informed that they had failed, leaving us questioning why we were treated unfairly and what we had done wrong. Meanwhile, new staff were employed to work on the ground floor as renovations progressed, raising concerns that we might never regain our positions. Even those of us whose contracts had not expired were terminated. On the day of the interviews, around 20 people attended, but some were reportedly sacked because Mrs. Wachira allegedly decided that we all be dismissed. We feel wronged, and some staff remained while many of us were let go without explanation. We are appealing for assistance from the Labour Office as renovations continue on the second and third floors, while new staff work on the ground floor. We are ready and willing to return to work once the store is fully renovated and ask for forgiveness for any misunderstandings. Watusamehe tu. Asante.”
