Nurses vow to vote out Jubilee government for ignoring their grievances

Kakamega County referral hospital medical practitioners sing 'solidarity song' before addressing the press in Kakamega on December 7, 2016. They urged President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy to resolve doctors strike. [Photo:BENJAMIN SAKWA/Standard]

Nurses in Kakamega have turned their anger on President Uhuru Kenyatta for failing to address their grievances.

As health crisis hit day three, most public hospitals in the county remained deserted and closed down as patients continued to suffer in their homes.

The nurses led by their county secretary general Renson Bulunya said they will vote out Jubilee government for failing to intervene and end the strike.

They also accused governors of failing to sign the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) they signed four years ago.

"President Uhuru should intervene and address our grievances. If he fails us then he should be ready to leave office next year," said Bulunya.

Addressing journalists at Kakamega County General Hospital, he insisted that nurses will not resume duties unless their CBA is signed.

He warned Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to be ready for bruising battle with nurses if he will not push for the signing of the CBA.

"Oparanya should stop what he is doing and agree to sign the CBA for us to resume duties or he should also be ready to be voted out in 2017," he said.

The angry nurses turned heat on political and religious leaders for neglecting them as patients continue to suffer in the country.

"It is not our wish that hospitals are closed. We are not happy when people die due to lack of medication. What we need is our CBA to be signed then we will get back to work," Bulunya said.

Bulunya insisted that they are not ready to sign return to work formula being pushed for by the national government.

He also said they will not honor a court injunction which was obtained by governors to block the strike.