Demeaning face of politics and bureaucracy in labour movement in Kenya: A quest for an effective labour law

Abstract

The Constitution of Kenya, 2010, the Labour Relations Act, 2007, and the Employment Act, 2007, along with several other labour statutes, are designed to facilitate the establishment of employer-employee unions that play a significant role in safeguarding the social, political, and economic rights/interests of their registered members. Employers and employees generally need a conducive environment to perform their daily duties. Of late, however, continuous interference from political and state machineries in the running of union activities has proved to be a bedrock for regular internal disputes between the management and employees of various institutions in the country. For instance, the Kenya National Union of Teachers has accused, on several occasions, the Teachers Service Commission and politicians of sabotaging the affairs of the union. This paper, therefore, aims to evaluate the constitutional and legal framework regulating the establishment and registration of trade unions in Kenya. Besides, with the aid of judicial pronouncements, it analyses the impact of politics and bureaucracy in exercising the right to freedom of association, an essential element in the survival of trade unions in Kenya. Finally, the paper proposes measures to counter the threat posed by external parties in running trade union activities.