Nurses fail to attract ministry’s attention

By STANDARD TEAM

Hundreds of nurses held protest marches in Nairobi to push for registration of their new union as their colleagues in Malindi and Nyeri paralysed operations in health facilities.

The nurses’ strike enters its third day Wednesday.

In Nairobi, the striking nurses, led by officials of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and the National Nurses Association of Kenya, yesterday marched to the Ministry of Labour headquarters.

Knun Secretary General Seth Panyako said the strike would continue till the Government releases the certificate. He wondered why Knun’s registration was being blocked when the education sector has at least eight registered trade unions.

“Currently, the health sector has only one union and that is for the doctors. We do not understand why nurses cannot be allowed to have their own union to cater for their rights. Why are nurses being forced to be members of other unions?” he asked.

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Top ministry officials were not available to meet the protesting nurses. Minister John Munyes was at KICC where his party, Ford-Kenya, was signing a pre-election pact with other parties. PS Beatrice Kituyi and Registrar of Trade Unions William Langat were said to be out of the country.

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants’ Head of Medical Chapter Evans Nasebe criticised Government for not taking action against leaders of Knun and NNAK for leading an ‘illegal’ strike.

“What message is the Government sending to Kenyans when it allows lawlessness to prevail in the health sector? The Ministry of Labour has clearly warned the leaders of Knun against acting as officials of a non-registered trade union. Knun leadership should be arrested,” he said.

No turning back

Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said the Government is exploring the possibility of restricting the leadership of trade unions in the public health sector to civil servants and not “outsiders”.

At Malindi District Hospital, no patients were attended to as nurses kept off the facility. Patients seeking services at the hospital, which is a referral for patients from Kilifi, Malindi, Magarini, Tana River and Lamu, were turned away.

Malindi District Medical Superintendent of Health Morris Buni said they had been forced to suspend some services at the hospital besides discharging more than 190 patients who had been admitted to the facility.

And in Nyeri, striking nurses vowed not to relent until the Government registers their union.

Reports by Ally Jamah, Paul Gitau and Marion Ndung’u