Kakamega governor Wyclif Oparanya has started the first phase of employing health workers to replace those who have been on strike for more than the last one month. Speaking at Bukhungu stadium the governor said the Kakamega residents desire to enjoy proper health services that he will not allow be taken away by people who are paid through taxes collected from the same suffering residents.
During the first recruitment 60 health workers have been employed on a 3-year contract and this will report on duty immediately they receive and sign their contracts. Oparanya on whether the first bunch of 60 health workers will be able to effectively fill the void left by the still striking health workers, he said this will be followed immediately by another 100 being employed to join the list of over 30% health workers who have since resumed duties.
Oparanya directed his anger to union workers whom he blames for misadvising health workers to go on strike when clearly, they understand the county government had retrieved court orders making the downing of tools null and void. Oparanya claims all the demands being brought out by the striking nurses are not under county government mandate and whoever fills he has sympathy for those employed by national government should resign be employed by national government then raise the concerns.
“I want to state here that all that the nurses wanted and falls under our docket was done, all the remaining issues are issues not under county government and Kakamega county is not a department under the national government” he said. Kakamega nurse’s secretary general Renson Bulunya speaking with West Media blamed the governor for failing to organize a meeting with the striking nurses the way other county governments have done and find a solution, instead he claims Oparanya is only out issuing threats which he is adamant they will not solve anything.