Reports have emerged pointing to a deepening wage standoff within Frejed Engineering Services Limited, a Nairobi-based multidisciplinary engineering firm with over a decade of regional and international project experience, involving unpaid staff and casual labourers deployed across three active government housing sites in Isiolo, Engineer Town (Kinangop), and Majenji in Murang’a County.
Frejed, whose headquarters are located at Ramco Court along Mombasa Road, is currently implementing construction works under the Affordable Housing Programme, a flagship initiative of the State Department for Housing. President William Ruto addresses attendees on February 15, 2024, during the launch of the Makenji Affordable Housing Project in Murang’a County, clad in a construction vest branded with Frejed Engineering, the private contractor at the centre of ongoing wage complaints tied to government housing sites.
The firm, led by Managing Director Paul Weda since 2017, has built a reputation for delivering civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering solutions across East Africa and beyond, completing over 100 infrastructure projects in nine countries.
But beneath this professional image, internal turmoil appears to be mounting.
Employees linked directly to the Affordable Housing sites have reportedly gone without salaries for the last four months.
These are not isolated contract disputes but affect a wide array of workers from site-level casuals to technical staff, all embedded within what should be fully funded public projects.
This is taking place at a time when Frejed is understood to have received formal certificate approvals for payment from the government, one for each of the three housing sites.
Each certificate reportedly corresponds to disbursements in the range of millions, made in phases, intended to support operational and labour costs on-site.
But only certain categories of personnel, mainly those not attached to the housing programme, are said to have been paid during this period.
Frejed Engineering, known also for its strong import networks spanning India, Italy, and France, is said to be continuing full-scale operations on the affected sites. Meanwhile, workers are being told to wait without formal timelines or justification, leading to quiet unrest across teams.
Reports further suggest that salaries drawn from these housing allocations are being diverted to cover unrelated payroll expenses, a move that has left affected employees questioning financial accountability and project management priorities within the firm.
The firm, which prides itself on client-focused execution and innovation-led delivery models, now finds itself under a shadow of internal financial strain that appears to undermine the very values it promotes.
Though its public profile reflects a technically capable, well-governed entity, voices from within are pointing to glaring disparities between project funding, staff remuneration, and internal financial transparency.
Those impacted are now quietly seeking recourse, calling attention to what they describe as a sustained period of silence and delay in resolving their dues.
Below is a firsthand account from an internal source, articulating the systemic disarray and financial opacity gripping operations at Frejed Engineering Services Limited. "Good evening Cyprian. Thank you so much for your efforts in not only fighting for the liberation of this country, but also highlighting the plight of workers in Kenya. I work for a company called Frejed Engineering Services Limited. The company has been contracted by various state departments to work on their various projects. They have a contract with KAA, Kenya Marine Authority, KenGen, and lately, the State Department of Housing. Frejed was awarded a tender for constructing affordable housing units in Isiolo, Majenji in Murang’a, and Engineer town in Kinangop. The contractor (Frejed) has been receiving payments from the State Department of Housing, yet the workers on sites (casual) and the staff from the company haven't been receiving their due payments and salaries. The contractor has lately received 3 approved certificates for the three sites with requisite payments of up to 50 million shillings each (as of last month). The Affordable Housing staff haven't been paid their dues, but the rest of the staff of the company have been paid with the Affordable Housing money. This even includes the clerk of works for all the sites. Once we try to follow up on the payments, we are told to wait, that there's no money for us to be paid with. I will highly appreciate it if you highlight our plight. The Directors of Frejed Engineering Services Limited are Paul Weda (a former classmate of Kipchumba Murkomen at JKUAT), and Stephen Vandika (Project Manager for the housing program)." As we continue to probe the unfolding wage paralysis within Frejed Engineering Services Limited, we invite other affected personnel, past or present, to confidentially share their experiences, documents, or insights that may further illuminate the mechanics behind the alleged diversion of public project funds and prolonged salary suppression.
We will be methodically pursuing every thread, verifying internal inconsistencies, and mapping the flow of funds across the company’s project accounts, especially where allocations tied to public infrastructure appear to have been quietly rerouted or withheld without accountability.