Machakos: Governor Wavinya Ndeti has directed the County Public Service Board (CPSB) to advertise and recruit 500 nurses to enhance health services in the region. This development follows a stalemate between the county executive and the Nurses Union, which has resulted in a two-week strike severely impacting hospital operations.
According to Kenya News Agency, the deadlock arose after the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) exited a negotiation meeting with the county executives, failing to reach a consensus on one of their seven demands. In response, Governor Ndeti announced that her administration would proceed with hiring more nurses, while still remaining open to dialogue and constructive engagement with union leaders.
During a press briefing, the governor emphasized the need for a workable return-to-work formula to resolve the crisis, urging healthcare workers to consider the plight of patients. "I call upon the nurses and midwives to put the interests of Machakos people first and give a further chance to dialogue in order to stop the suffering of patients," she stated.
In the interim, Wavinya has instructed hospitals to temporarily employ locum nurses to ensure continuity and quality of healthcare services for Machakos residents. Additionally, she revealed fraudulent activities concerning KNUNM membership, where some individuals gained membership through M-Pesa transactions to unknown numbers. Consequently, she directed the CPSB to halt union deductions from the payroll.
Governor Ndeti further addressed systemic issues in the health sector's devolution, urging Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu to ensure the alignment of funds with devolved functions to mitigate such challenges. She advocated for legislation to automatically reimburse hospitals with SHA funds to alleviate financial constraints.