Siaya: Siaya town was thrown into chaos after a peaceful nurses' protest turned violent when a group of armed goons attacked the demonstrators outside the governor's office. The nurses, who had been chanting and picketing since midmorning, were demanding an audience with Governor James Orengo or his representative over grievances including delayed salaries, non-remittance of statutory deductions, and severe staff shortages in health facilities.
According to Kenya News Agency, for about three hours, the protest had remained largely peaceful, with nurses blowing whistles, chanting slogans, and waving placards outside the county headquarters. However, the calm quickly turned to violence when a group of men walked into the compound and soon emerged wielding long wooden clubs, locally known as rungus.
In the presence of police officers who had been guarding the premises and some had been escorting the protesters, the armed men descended on the nurses beating them indiscriminately. What followed was a scene described by witnesses as unprecedented, as the men began beating the protesters while police officers stood by. In the ensuing chaos, two gunshots were fired into the air, reportedly by the police, to disperse the crowd.
The road leading to the county headquarters momentarily resembled a war zone, with terrified nurses scattering in different directions. Some clung to their phones, whistles, and vuvuzelas while trying to document the attack, but the sheer force of the armed group left many with injuries. Several nurses sustained bruises and cuts, while one female nurse was badly beaten and had to be carried away by her colleagues before being rushed to the nearby Siaya County Referral Hospital.
Speaking to journalists after the ordeal, the Kenya Union of Nurses and Midwives Siaya branch chairman, Dennis Omollo, condemned the attack and blamed the county administration for allowing violence against health workers. 'It is shameful and unacceptable that in broad daylight, under police protection, workers seeking dialogue with their employer were brutalized. This is not how grievances should be handled,' he said.
Furthermore, Omollo accused the county government of turning a deaf ear to the legitimate demands of its healthcare staff. He noted that the nurses have been patient for months, hoping for constructive engagement, only to be met with brutality instead of dialogue. 'We are simply asking for our dues and better working conditions, but instead we are met with rungus,' he added.
Despite the violence, the nurses vowed to press on with their strike until the county addresses their grievances. They insisted they would not be cowed by intimidation and promised to return to the streets until meaningful action is taken by the county executive and it is made known who was behind the attacks. 'We will not be silenced by fear. Our rights and the rights of the patients we serve must be respected,' one nurse said.