Nurses in Nandi County have officially commenced their strike, joining the nationwide strike which has already affected health services in several Counties. While addressing the press at Kapsabet Referral Hospital, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Nandi branch Secretary General Amos Ng’etich said that initially they didn’t have clear communication, unlike now, and that’s why they were on a go-slow yesterday.
He indicated that early this year, there was a negative reply to the proposal given to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) from KNUN concerning allowances, including commuter allowance, risk allowance among other allowances. “We’ve been getting uniform allowance of Ksh 10,000 every year, but the reply we received in March from SRC indicated they had rubbished that,” he said. Accordingly, the heavy burden rests with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the Ministry of Health.
At the moment, patients who have been admitted to Kapsabet Referral Hospital have been informed to look for services in private facilities because the strike has officially begun, and it won’t stop till the government addresses the nurses’ grievances.