Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua has put employers on notice over growing cases of sexual harassment in workplaces, calling on them to seek romantic relationships outside office boundaries.
Speaking during Labour Day celebrations held at Uhuru Gardens on Thursday, May 1, 2025, Mutua shared that his office has been overwhelmed with reports of female employees facing harassment from their bosses. He highlighted the power imbalance in workplaces, especially when it comes to young women, which leads to exploitation.
“I get a lot of reports in my office about sexual harassment in workplaces. Mrembo akiandikwa kazi, our sisters, daughters usianze kumpangia, unaanza kumnyemelea na akikutaa, unamfuta kazi,” Mutua said.
Loosely translated to;
“When a beautiful woman gets a job, our sisters and daughters, don’t start making plans for her, don’t start preying on her—and when she turns you down, you fire her.”
Mutua stressed the importance of creating a safe and respectful environment for all workers, regardless of gender, and condemned the relationships between managers and juniors in the same office, noting that it often leads to abuse of power.
“We must ensure there is a safe working environment for our young girls and boys. That power dynamic is what we should be talking about. A manager should not be dating a junior in the same office. Soko ni kubwa Kenya hii, wachana na wafanyikazi wanafanya kazi na wewe. We will take measures to ensure there is no sexual harassment in the workplace,” he added.
Respect and dignity
Mutua also used the opportunity to remind employers of their legal and moral responsibility to treat workers with respect and dignity. He said every employee deserves fair treatment, proper wages, including overtime, and a work environment free from discrimination.
“Workers must be treated with respect and human dignity. They are not slaves. Must be safeguarded at all times. Workers must be paid rightful wages, including overtime and treated fairly without discrimination and also enjoy decent work conditions,” Mutua said.
He also called on workers to show commitment and integrity in their jobs.
“Workers in turn need to be faithful, obedient and dedicated to their employers,” he added.