The National Police Service has firmly affirmed striking nurses acting in breach of the Public Order Act will be emphatically dealt with. In a statement issued on Thursday, the service also reassured the public that security would adequately be provided around public hospitals throughout the striking period.
The statement comes a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered all nurses to report to work by February 15 or face dismissal by the county government and the Health ministry.
Uhuru instructed the National Police Service to take unrelenting action against picketers who might harass public servants going to work.
“The National Police Service wishes to inform the public that all the concerned commanders have been instructed to ensure that those nurses who wish to resume duty do so undisturbed,” NPS tweeted.
Last week, the court suspended the nurses’ strike for 60 days. This was after the Council of Governors sought an injunction to enable both parties to negotiate.
However, on Wednesday, the Kenya National Union of Nurses’ secretary general Seth Panyako maintained their strike is still on despite Uhuru’s threat to sack and arrest those participating.
“I have no mandate to respond to the President. If I do I will be overstepping my mandate. I urge our members to remain firm and fight for their rights. If there will be something otherwise we will advise them accordingly,” Panyako said.
He announced that more counties would be joining the strike on Monday.
CoG chairman Wycliffe Oparanya on Tuesday moved to court to challenge the legitimacy of the strike by the Kenya National Union of Nurses.
Nurses in 23 counties went on strike on January 4 demanding the implementation of the 2017 return-to-work formula. So far only six counties have fully implemented the CBA namely Migori, Machakos, Kwale, Nairobi, Mombasa and Vihiga