Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary general Seth Panyako says that they have been patiently waiting for the governors to act but read mischief in their assertion that there is no money yet it was budgeted for.
“The strike is on. We are ready to fight through all available means to have what is rightfully ours. We do not care where they will get the money but the nurses will not go back to work until they are paid their allowances,” said Mr Panyako.
He said nurses are being taken for a ride in the country.
“In 2017, we were tricked by the CoG who were purporting to be signing the agreement then they later changed after going back to work that they are not our employers. This time around we will not be cowed by anybody. We are going to call for a national strike,” he said.
Senators are now asking the governors to sit down with the nurses and thrash out a workable agreement so that services can resume in hospitals.
“We are calling upon governors who are affected to talk to the nurses and agree on when they will pay them. It is not that they do not have the money. Where do they get money to budget for millions for entertainment if they cannot pay little monies to nurses?” Chairperson of the Senate Labour committee Johnston Sakaja, posed.
He made the remarks during a meeting of stakeholders meant to air out thorny issues and looking for a way forward to the nurse’s issue.
Mr Sakaja alleged that the governors could have diverted the nurse’s money to other things.
He questioned why the SRC was saying that counties do not have the money yet some have paid and others committed to paying.