Siaya: Health services came to a halt in Siaya County Friday after nurses downed their tools, protesting against the county government's failure to address their grievances. Following the strike, public health care services ground to a halt as dejected members of the public who turned up for treatment were forced to either seek services in private hospitals or return home.
According to Kenya News Agency, led by the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Siaya branch officials, the nurses took to the streets of Siaya town and marched to the governor's office to seek audience with the top county officials. Among their grievances is the delayed promotions, chronic understaffing, and their employer's failure to remit statutory deductions on time.
Addressing the media outside the governor's offices, KNUN Siaya branch Secretary Mr. Kennedy Hamisi further accused the government of failing to absorb nurses who have served under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program on contract for over five years. Hamisi also accused Siaya county government of failure to implement key provisions of the collective bargaining agreement signed with KNUN, among them the issue of uniforms and nursing service allowances.
The union's Siaya branch Chairman, Denis Omolo, lamented that the county government has consistently been delaying remittances to third parties, hence affecting their members. The officials said the strike will continue until the county government addresses their grievances and told members of the public who fall sick to make other arrangements.