The hearing on a petition in which a former senior employee of the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi is challenging his dismissal continued on Thursday at the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nakuru.
The court heard that Dr. Silas Malemo served the Embassy since 2018, initially as a Programme Officer before rising to Programme Manager for Somalia at the Mogadishu Representation Office.
However, Dr. Malemo was fired in May 2025 over what he describes as an unfair and retaliatory dismissal after raising workplace concerns during his tenure at the Embassy when he acted as a staff representative on the Joint Staff Committee (JSC).
In his testimony in court, Dr. Malemo alleged that his role in questioning internal processes led to hostility from senior officials at the embassy including Ambassador Steen Sonne Andersen and Ms. Gertrud Kümmel Birk culminating into disciplinary action that he described as irregular and flawed.
He recounted an incident which he was summoned to the Ambassador’s office and issued with a show-cause letter accompanied by documents written in Danish, a language he said he does not understand.
He further claimed he was compelled to surrender his SIM card, containing mobile money services, and was escorted out of the embassy premises under what he termed as duress.
During cross-examination, the embassy’s lawyer questioned Dr. Malemo’s employment history and leave records.
Dr. Malemo clarified that while he took annual leave in January 2023, he did not apply for study leave, maintaining that such provisions did not exist within the embassy’s employment framework.
He also disputed claims that he sent emails alleging discrimination while on leave, insisting that he had already resumed duty at the time.
However, according to a replying affidavit, the Danish Embassy denied the accusations by Dr. Malemo maintaining that his dismissal complied with all requirements under the Employment Act and had nothing to do with his role as a staff representative on the staff committee.
“The provision of emails in their original Danish format was not an act of discrimination but a measure to preserve the integrity of the evidence as it appeared on the Respondent’s server. The petitioner was not prejudiced by this as he substantively responded to the allegations against him,” the affidavit reads in part.
Dr. Malema is now seeking compensation equivalent to 12 months gross salary amounting to Ksh 7,159,596, calculated from a monthly pay of Ksh 596,633, alongside general damages for alleged violations of his constitutional rights and costs of the suit.
The hearing is scheduled to proceed on May 11, 2026 when Dr. Malema’s legal team is expected to cross examine Ambassador Andersen.
