The Controller of Budget, Agnes Odhiambo has instructed Migori, Machakos, Mombasa and Kwale counties to recover new allowances already paid to nurses.
Mrs Agnes Odhiambo has written to the counties asking them to comply with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission circular on nurses’ service allowances.
This happens after Mombasa county paid the striking nurse some allocations and in a letter to governor
Nurses in public hospitals earn a monthly service allowance of Sh20,000. They want it increased to Sh30,000 over three years from 2017.
Ms Mengich said even if funding is available, sustainability is a key factor in the long term, adding that no county should pay the sought allowances using public funds.
The letter from Mrs Odhiambo says the SRC has not reviewed the nurses’ benefits and that any changes without the authority of the commission would be illegal.
The commission had earlier said that counties need about Sh3.5 billion every year to pay nurses’ service and uniform allowances, an amount it maintained was not sustainable.
Chairperson Lyn Mengich said the governors and the Treasury had confirmed they did not have money to pay the nurses.