Employees at Neema Livestock Slaughtering & Investment Ltd, a privately owned meat processing company operating in Nairobi, have raised serious concerns over what they describe as persistent labour rights violations, intimidation, and exploitative working conditions within the organisation.
According to accounts provided by multiple employees, workers are routinely subjected to excessively long working hours without overtime compensation, with reports indicating that staff are required to report for duty as early as 3:00 a.m. and remain at work until 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. on a regular basis.
The employees state that these extended hours are mandatory and that refusal or complaints are met with threats, creating a climate of fear that discourages workers from asserting their rights.
The workers further allege that they are denied legally mandated leave, including annual leave and public holidays.
They claim that employees were required to work on major public holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, without any form of additional pay or compensatory time off, in violation of established labour standards.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the handling of sick employees, with workers alleging that those who fall ill and present medical documentation from recognised health facilities are not granted sick leave, but are instead subjected to unpaid suspensions lasting one to two months.
Employees argue that this practice not only violates labour law but also discourages workers from seeking medical attention when unwell, placing their health and safety at risk.
In addition, employees accuse the company of unlawfully deducting money from their wages under the guise of housing-related costs, instead of providing a house allowance as required by law. Workers claim these deductions are made without proper explanation or consent, further eroding already strained earnings.
Employees also allege that the company has actively blocked efforts to unionise, with management reportedly discouraging workers from joining labour unions and issuing threats to those who attempt to raise collective grievances.
According to the workers, complaints are often dismissed with warnings that reporting the matter to labour offices or unions would be futile, with claims that management wields undue influence over labour institutions.
The workers further claim that internal grievance mechanisms, including the human resource department, have failed to offer any meaningful recourse, leaving employees with no effective channel to address workplace concerns.
Some employees also allege that ethnic favouritism plays a role in workplace decisions, particularly in promotions, disciplinary actions, and job security.
As a result, employees say they feel abandoned and exposed, with no protection despite the severity of the issues raised.
They are now appealing for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Labour, relevant state agencies, labour unions, and national leadership to investigate the allegations and enforce compliance with Kenya’s labour laws.
“Hello Mr Cyprian. I hope you’ll see this message. So kuna hii kampuni inaitwa Neema Livestock Slaughtering and Investment Ltd, and they’re threatening employees. Hakuna kuenda holiday, hakuna kulipwa overtime, and we’re overworking. Imagine tunaambiwa tuingie kazi 3am na tunatoka 9 or 10pm. Ukiwa mgonjwa upeleke barua ya hospital wanakupea suspension ya 1 or 2 months unpaid. Instead of watulipie house allowance, wao wanatukata pesa yetu. Then walikataa tusiingie UNION, and when we complain wanatutishia, wanasema tuende tuwashitaki penye tunajua. They say wanaeza honga watu wa labour ama hata hao union. Manze tunakapitia. Just tag President. Hakuna mtu anatutuangalia, even the HR joh. It’s a private company so ukabila iko juu sana. Please help us. Hadi date 25th Dec na date 1st Jan tuliingia kazi joh.”
