The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Kakamega County branch has called off the nurses’ strike in the County that has paralyzed services in the public hospitals for the last three days. Addressing the press at a Kakamega hotel, the branch’s union secretary general Renson Bulunya and chair Eliud Molenge urged the nurses to report back on work, latest on Monday 8.00 am next week, assuring them no action will be taken against them for boycotting duty for the three days.
The two have said that they have reached the decision to give space for reconciliation and dialogue to take place. “Negotiations and dialogue are the only solutions to any stalemate and thus as a union, we call off the strike to allow the negotiations going on at the national level to continue,” said Bulunya. He added that they have engaged the County government and it is ready to work with the agreements that will be reached between the national KNUN officials and Council of Governors.
The nurses among other things were demanding for the implementation of a return to work formula, promotions and uniform allowances. Bulunya has further supported the idea by a number of Governors who are against devolving the health ministry. He said it was a bad decision to devolve the Ministry given that County governments are not in a position to handle it in the right manner and in case of a referendum on the same issue, they’ll call for the docket to be handled by the national government.
