Fourteen Former Italian Space Agency Workers Sue Over Alleged Unfair Dismisal

By Ben Okweingoti.

At least fourteen former employees of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) stationed at the San Marco Broglio Space Centre in Ngomeni, Magarini Sub County, Kilifi County, have moved to court, accusing the agency and its labour contractor of unlawful and unfair termination of employment.

The workers have filed separate suits at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Malindi, claiming their dismissal in December 2024 was unprocedural and has plunged them into severe financial hardship. They allege that their termination came shortly after their employer facilitated them to secure bank loans by signing disclosure forms indicating they would serve until the mandatory retirement age of 60.

Speaking to journalists in Malindi town after filing the cases, representatives of the dismissed workers said the disclosure forms were used to secure long-term loans, leaving them stranded after their employment was abruptly terminated.

“One month after I secured a loan, the employer issued me with a termination letter, leaving me with no source of income to service the loan. My guarantors are now under pressure to repay the debt,” said Mr John Randu, one of the affected workers.

According to court documents, the plaintiffs, some of whom had served the agency for over two decades, argue that their employment contracts were terminated without valid reasons, adequate notice, or adherence to the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) governing their terms of service.

The former employees are seeking court declarations that their termination was unlawful, unfair, and unprocedural. They are also demanding payment of terminal dues ranging between Sh1.4 million and Sh2.4 million, depending on their length of service.

Additionally, the workers are seeking general damages for breach of legitimate expectation and breach of contract, punitive damages for pain and suffering allegedly caused by the termination, as well as costs and interest.

The plaintiffs stated that they opted to file individual suits after an earlier attempt to institute a joint case allegedly collapsed when some of the claimants withdrew under unclear circumstances. They further claimed that they were forced to change legal representation twice, alleging that their initial advocates had been compromised by the respondents.

The cases are expected to test labour relations and contractual obligations between the foreign space agency, its local labour contractor, and long-serving Kenyan employees.