Nurses Strike To Continue Despite Court Order

Seth Panyako, The Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General     insists that the strike is still on and that they will ignore the directive of the court suspending their strike for 60 days.

The CoG has however distanced itself from the looming strike.

Panyako spoke even as it emerged that nurses in 10 out of 22 counties that were yet to sign the Collective Bargaining Agreement had downed their tools.

Only 4 counties Mombasa, Machakos, Migori and Kwale have fully implemented the CBA.

The CoG has however distanced itself from the continuing strike.

In a letter to KNUN, governors have directed nurses to negotiate with various officials in affected counties.

The government has however formed a committee to spear head talk with nurses.

The nurses are now pointing an accusing finger at the council of governors claiming the council is blocking counties from implementing the collective bargaining agreement they signed in 2017.

Senators have since raised questions on whether the counties have misappropriated the monies they set aside for the implementation of the CBA.

Counties to be affected include , Nyeri, West Pokot, Taita Taveta, Kitui, Wajir, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyandarua, Kisii and Nairobi.

The offices of the governors listed as being on strike have however chosen to bury their heads in the sand refuting the claims of a strike, some however have implored the nurses to heed to the court orders and return to work.

So far nurses in seven counties have suspended the strike, Nairobi having inked the deal on Tuesday night.

14 other counties are still in talks with the nurses in a bid to end the stalemate.

Meanwhile the council of governors has served the nurses with the court orders, despite finding their offices closed.

The nurses’ union which appeared before the Senate Labour Committee accused the Council of Governors of frustrating their engagement with counties.

Striking nurses have called upon relatives who have their patients in affected counties to bare with them and take their patients back as they await the next move.

Most of the governors in the counties where nurses are on strike could not be reached for comment, while a few of them denied the strike is on in their counties.

The strike is expected to affect government’s piloting program of universal health care.