President Uhuru Kenyatta’s threat issued on Wednesday requiring all striking nurses to return to work or be fired was met with resistance from the Kenya National Union of Nurses.
What knowledge did nurses have that gave them guts to resist president’s order and rubbish it as mere threat?
Finally the order has turned out to be a mere threat that the head of state could not execute.
Constitutionally, president does not have powers to hire or fire nurses and therefore he lacked powers to direct the nurses. The best he can do is to show his good will and support the counties in empowering health sector.
After all, health is a devolved function. Nurses falls under the jurisdiction of county governments.
The national government was finally forced to drop its hard talk on firing striking nurses who defied a return-to-work order and instituted a conciliatory team instead to help resolve the stalemate.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattany however appeared to advocate for dialogue in resolving the issues surrounding the medical practitioners that have seen them stay away from hospitals since February 4.
The CS further appealed to the nurses to go back to work adding that the public are the one bearing the brunt of the strike.