The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has called upon the CORD principal who is also the ODM party leader Raila Odinga to stop his political campaigns in Kakamega county and instead call for an emergency meeting to address the ongoing nurses’ strike in the county. Speaking in Kakamega, the KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako said that it was unbelievable to see both governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Raila Odinga dance on the dais trying to woe residents who can not access healthcare in the county.
Panyako warned the CORD leader that he will lose votes come 2017 if he will not stop his political tour to address the emergency. “How can you go around trying to win votes from a sick and dying county?” asked Panyako.
He pointed accusing fingers at the county secretary and the health executive Penina Mukabane for failing to cater for the needs of the nurses saying that the county assembly agreed that money should be released for promotions of nurses.
Panyako accused the county executives of selfish interests and assured that the strike will persist until when their demands will be met.
The Kakamega county secretary general Renson Bulunya has called upon Mrs. Mukabane to consider dialogue with the officials rather than cheat residents that services are ongoing at the public health facilities.
Bulunya says that he will not allow his nurses to continue earning 15 thousand shillings yet they have been contracted. He further demands that all nurses should be duly employed by the county government.
In response, the CEC health Penina Mukabane assured the residents to seek medical services at all public facilities saying they are operational.
She further said that her department has already tackled all the demands raised in the past by the union including promotions, training, and re-designation and thus sees no issue that would warrant disruption of health services by nurses.
Mrs.Mukabane revealed that so far 447 nurses have been promoted while 255 are currently undergoing a suitability interview for competitive positions based on the approved establishment and in line with the scheme of service guiding growth and promotions of nurses in the public sector.
She further warned those who may be lured to take part in the strike that disciplinary actions including sacking will be taken against them explaining that those purporting to be KNUN representatives are in office illegally having been de-registered by the registrar of trade unions.