President Uhuru Kenyatta in a stern address from the State House Nairobi,has directed the health ministry and county governments to fire nurses who will fail to resume work by Friday 8.am.
The courts, he said, have suspended the strike “and court orders must be obeyed by all Kenyans”.
“It is disheartening to learn that some of our nurses have decided to engage in an unlawful withdrawal of their labour to Kenyans against the determination of the employment and labour relations court which suspended any industrial action for 60 days”.
Since the directive, many have taken to twitter critisizing the president as an authoritarian saying the striking is the nurse’s lawful right as well.
You’re out of Order Mr #president_kenyatta… The nurses deserves what they are demanding for… #solidarity_forever pic.twitter.com/GHDROEkW2O
— Edwin kana ?? (@kana_edwin) February 13, 2019
Hello our beloved President Kenyatta, you can’t just order nurses to return to work and you ain’t even bothered about their rights. Laws are their but we also got rights to enjoy under the given laws. #PayNursesKe
— Trendy Teacher??[? ? ? ? ? ? ?] (@Mitira_Official) February 13, 2019
President Kenyatta is a dictator. He is just doing what Murathe said in 2017; use force and make things move. Nurses will be beaten by the police should they dare picket. Some will be sacked this Friday. If he defies the Constitution, what makes him not hang his corrupt officers?
— Abuga Makori CBS MBE (@o_abuga) February 13, 2019
President Kenyatta wants oppressed nurses to obey court orders now and his Chief Cabinet Secretary @FredMatiangi already led by example in defying court orders. @UKenyatta,authoritarianism is not what Kenyans want,just finish your term and give other people a chance.
— Faruq Osman Kiage (@kiage_kevin) February 13, 2019