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Striking nurses defy Court orders suspending strike

 

Nurses in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, storm the Governor's office. The nurses countrywide entered day two. The nurses strike was called by the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary General Seth Panyako. Services at the Iten County Referral Hospital was slowed down owing to the strike. 04-02-2019. [PHOTO: KEVIN TUNOI]

Striking nurses in several counties have refused to return to work despite a court order issued yesterday.

In West Pokot, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Branch Secretary Simon Konoch said their grievances must be heard before they resume work.

"Counties have followed the simple route. They should come and agree with us on when they will pay us and how much. Just as long as we agree in good faith,” said Mr Konoch.

In Elgeyo Marakwet, nurses defied a 24-hour ultimatum to return to work or face the sack issued by Health Executive Kiprono Chepkok on Monday evening.

Services at major health facilities in the county were paralysed for the third day even as Governor Alex Tolgos dismissed the striking nurses' demands and claimed the county was broke.

In Taita Taveta, the county government said it would not pay striking nurses their uniform and nursing services allowances as earlier announced.

Governor Granton Samboja’s administration had earlier committed to paying the workers more than Sh8 million in pending allowances by yesterday before backtracking and accusing the union of only focusing on the strike.

“We have suspended payment of the new allowances and January salaries indefinitely because if we pay the striking workers, we shall empower them. We will only pay them the pending allowances and salaries if they go back to work,” said Health Executive Daniel Makoko.

Separately, a Senate committee was yesterday told that some governors might have diverted money meant for nurses’ allowances and that was why they could not meet their demands.

The Senate Labour Committee heard that some counties were struggling to pass supplementary budgets to factor in the nurses’ allowances although the National Treasury released the money to counties in their 2018/2019 budgets.

The team was told that the counties were unable to process the new allowances due to a hitch with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

KNUN Deputy General Secretary Maurice Opetu said some counties had resorted to paying the nurses’ allowances using manual vouchers after failing to get SRC approval through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database, the system used to process pay.

Mombasa, Machakos and Migori are the only counties that are paying their nurses the awarded Sh15,000 uniform allowance and Sh10,000 nursing service allowance increment.

The allowances were to be paid in three tranches in the 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years. The remaining counties have yet to effect a November 2, 2017 return-to-work formula.

Johnson Sakaja, the committee chairman, said the governors of the 22 counties that had shown no commitment to pay would be summoned. The Nairobi senator said the county bosses would appear together with the leadership of the Council of Governors, SRC, Ministry of Health and KNUN officials.

“I have spoken to some county secretaries and they say they need a ‘no objection’ from SRC when they access the system. I do not understand what is wrong with our counties and governors. Do you have to seek authorisation to pay your own workers?” asked Mr Sakaja.

He said counties would not be victimised for using manual vouchers to pay their nurses.

“SRC is overstepping its mandate. They have no mandate to approve payments, and more so that of public servants. They can only do that for State officers.” [Irissheel Shanzu, Stephen Rutto, Renson Mnyamwezi and Graham Kajilwa]

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