This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
The leadership crisis at the Dock Workers Union (DWU) has taken a dramatic turn, with chairman Mohamed Sheria and general secretary Simon Sang trading accusations in a series of public statements.
On June 29, 2019, Sang wrote a letter to Sheria informing him that he had been removed from the union with immediate effect, citing Sheria's support for the privatisation of the second container terminal at the port of Mombasa as the reason for his removal.
According to Sang, Sheria's actions had lost the trust of union members, and he would be removed completely as a member of the union during the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2024.
However, Sheria has refused to acknowledge the letter and has instead withdrawn the union from a petition filed by Sang to stop the privatisation of the second container terminal.
Maritime Affairs PS Nancy Karigithu has backed Sheria's move, claiming that Sang acted unilaterally without involving the union's board, which is against the DWU constitution.
The court has since agreed with Sheria, and the union has withdrawn from the petition.
With the situation escalating, Sang has reportedly held a crisis meeting with his team to collect signatures towards holding a special AGM to seal Sheria's fate.
Workers at the port of Mombasa have accused Sheria of being used by outside forces to endanger their employment, and Sang is said to be much ahead of Sheria in terms of popularity among employees.
