Nurses' Union boss Panyako charged with creating disturbance

Nurses' Union boss Panyako charged creating disturbance [Courtesy]

Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako was on Tuesday arraigned at the Milimani Law Court and charged with creating disturbance and taking part in unlawful assembly.

His charge sheet read: "Creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by disrupting services at the Kenyatta National Hospital facility."

Panyako was arrested on October 29, 2018 alongside Joseph Wanyoike and Evans Mwaluko for allegedly inciting nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital to go on strike.

Appearing before Magistrate Francis Andanyi, the trio pleaded not guilty and were each released on a personal bond of Sh50,000.

Panyako was arrested as he arrived at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to address striking nurses. The health workers were protesting what they said was the hospital management's refusal to let them join a union of their choice.

The nurses said the hospital had blocked them from joining KNUN.

Stephen Warutere, the KNUN branch secretary general at KNH, said nurses were being forced to remain in the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha), which, they said, does not serve their interests.

The health workers further raised security concerns citing an assault on a nurse by a bereaved mother on October 14, 2018. ?