NAIROBI, Kenya Sept 11 – Nurses in Siaya County have vowed to ignore the return-to-work order by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) Secretary General Seth Panyako, accusing their employer of failure to address critical grievances.
The nurses, who took to the streets of Siaya town, storming both Governor James Orengo’s office and the county assembly, said that they had kicked off their industrial action as a branch before joining the countrywide strike called by the national office.
Their grievances as a branch, said the Branch Executive Secretary, Kennedy Hamisi, was to push for the payment of seven months salary arrears and restoration of a comprehensive medical insurance, something that he said had not been addressed by the Siaya County Government.
“Before the national strike began, Siaya County nurses were already on strike over issues known to the county government,” Hamisi said adding that they will push on with their industrial action until the county leadership listens to them.
Speaking outside the Siaya County Assembly, the branch executive secretary lamented that some nurses had gone without salaries for seven months, making it difficult for them to meet basic expenses, including rent, transport and school fees.
Hamisi said the nurses were also protesting the reduction of their medical cover, adding that the previous scheme provided an outpatient benefit of Sh10,000 while the current scheme offers only Sh1,300.
KNUNM Siaya Branch chairman Denis Omollo accused the top county officials of turning a blind eye to the nurses grievances.
He said the nurses had decided to storm the assembly to push the house to address a petition they submitted a fortnight ago.
“We are at the Siaya County Assembly to follow up on a petition submitted on August 27,” Omollo said, adding that previous meetings with county executive officials had failed to resolve the matter.
Siaya County Assembly Clerk, Erick Owenga confirmed that the assembly received the petition which was forwarded to the speaker for action.
Nominated Member of the County Assembly Shalom Otieno urged the striking workers to be patient, assuring them that the house will address their petition.
He said that as leaders, they were concerned over both the plight of the workers and the suffering that the public are undergoing as a result of the industrial action.
