By William Madouk
Managing Director of UAP Insurance Company has been arrested for violating summons and failing to appear in court in the case with dismissed staff.
Mr. Japheth Omare Omwero was arrested yesterday after declining to respond to court summons for a hearing scheduled for February 21, 2025. He did not inform anyone of his absence.
Presiding Judge, Francis Amum issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Omwero on contempt of court.
Mr. Omwero is scheduled to appear in court at the next session.
In October of last year, UAP Insurance dismissed at least ten national staff members for calling for improved pay.
This decision contradicted an order from the Ministry of Labor to reinstate the ten dismissed employees due to a dispute. The issue led the National Staff Association (UNSA) to file a legal case against the insurance firm.
UAP and its national employees have been at odds over unfair treatment and differences in wages between national staff and their foreign expatriate colleagues.
This conflict prompted about 70 national staff members to stage a sit-in strike, temporarily halting UAP’s operations, although some staff eventually returned to work.
Luka Nyarsuk Nason, Chairman of the Labor Advisory Council, in a letter dated September 29, 2023, requested UAP management to suspend all administrative measures taken against staff.
In October, the Ministry of Labor issued a long-awaited verdict on the ongoing issues between UAP management and national staff regarding unfair treatment and salary structure.
Mary Hillary Wani, the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Labor, directed UAP to reinstate the ten national employees who had been dismissed.