Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Kenya (Ratification: 1979)

Please see the Committee's comments under Convention No. 81, as follows:

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report as well as the annual report of the Labour Department for 1991. The Committee also notes with interest the information and the attached documentation provided by the Government on the activities and goals achieved from 1991 to 1993 by the ILO technical cooperation project to strengthen labour inspection in Kenya. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide additional information on the following points:

Articles 8, 10, 11 and 16 of the Convention. The Committee notes with interest from the Government's report and the attached documentation on the ILO project noted above, that the number of inspections carried out increased from 3,601 in 1990 to a total of 16,132 in 1992, as a result of improved mobility of inspectors who were provided with proper transport, such as motorbikes. Please continue to provide information on the measures taken or contemplated to strengthen the staff of the inspection service throughout the country and to provide it with the transport and all other facilities necessary for the effective performance of its duties.

The Committee also notes with interest the Government's indication that there are 18 women inspectors, including six at senior management levels. Please continue providing information on the number of women appointed as inspectors and on any specific measures which promote the appointment of women inspectors.

The Committee further notes with interest the Government's statement that it is in the process of preparing a list of all premises (about 7,000) which are subject to labour inspection, as well as workers employed therein. The Committee hopes that with the establishment of such a list, it will be possible to inspect all industrial establishments (and agricultural undertakings as prescribed in Convention No. 129, ratified by Kenya in 1979) regularly. Please supply detailed information on any progress achieved in this respect. In addition, please continue to provide information on the measures that have been taken or are contemplated to strengthen the inspection service, particularly with regard to notification of occupational diseases (Article 14).

Articles 20 and 21. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes that, like previous reports, the annual Labour Department report for 1991 does not contain statistics on occupational diseases (Article 21(g)), on the number of workplaces liable to inspection and the number of workers employed therein (Article 21(c)). In this respect, the Committee notes the Government's statement that in the future, all annual reports will be published within the time-limits set in Article 20 and will contain all the information required under Article 21. It hopes - as the Government anticipates - that all the appropriate measures will be taken soon to ensure that inspection reports are regularly compiled and published in accordance with these Articles of the Convention.