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There is still no end in sight for the nurses' strike entering its third day with new accusation streaming in from the medics that the government is engaging them in blackmail.
With a web of accusations crossing all parties at the centre of the strike by the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), patients are now bearing the brunt of another cycle of medics' unrest.
On Tuesday, KNUN acting General Secretary Maurice Opetu claimed existence of conflict of interest among the respective government authorities involved in the salary negotiations of 25,000 nurses.
A spot check by the Standard team in various hospitals in the capital city, confirmed the agony patients are undergoing.
At Mbagathi Hospital, it was a chaotic morning as patients streamed in with hopes of receiving medical services, only to be met with the harsh reality that nurses were on a go- slow.
Some came in as early as 6 a.m and would leave six hours later after futile attempts to seek medical services.
A Staff at the Mbagathi Hospital who sought anonymity said most of the wards were empty as many patients had been discharged the previous evening.
"Only infants under critical care in incubators and their mothers are in the wards."
At the St. Mary's Hospital, the nurse in charge of operations Ferdinand Mbaabu, confirmed that the hospital had received a significant increase in the number of patients.
"We usually handle about 1000 out-patients daily. But during such times the number can shoot to 1500," he said.
Although he said they have witnessed minimal referrals – since Kenyatta National Hospital is operational, the hospital received two patients from Wajir and Mandera, which are some of the most affected counties.
But even as poor Kenyans continue to suffer, nurses have stood their ground that they will not re-negotiate the terms in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Referring to the proposed Sh40 billion deal, KNUN boss Opetu said all government authorities including the Salaries and Remuneration Commission were adequately briefed by the negotiating technical committee on the new salaries.
However, SRC has since distanced itself from the agreed CBA.
"This is pure blackmail; it is a tactical delay not to sign the CBA," he said.
Opetu said the current dispute is not with the nurses' union but with the Council of Governors, SRC and the national government.
"Since SRC claims not to recognize the CBA yet we had scheduled June 2 as the signing date, does it mean we would have signed a sham document?" posed KNUN Chair Joseph Ngwasi.
According to a return-to-work formula signed in December 14, 2016; nurses were supposed to have a CBA harmonizing their salaries by March 2.
However, CoG has been accused of dilly dallying the deal, with the main argument being late submission of final minutes of the CBA to SRC.
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